HAMISH AIMS TO UNLEASH THE HURT

English-born Watson is looking forward to an extra special date at Twickenham

IT HAS become something of a standing joke that Scotland players brought up in England did so with a Saltire-bedecked bedroom showing their devotion to the cause. Hamish Watson protested the story to be true this week, following hot on the heels of centre Huw Jones’ revelation that he slept under the Scottish flag while growing up down south.

But anyone who witnessed the Edinburgh flanker’s performances in his eight Tests to date, notably last weekend’s dynamic display against Wales, would be in no doubt of Watson’s desire to help the country of his Glaswegian grandparents.

Now comes a first meeting with England at Twickenham and Watson reiterates the point by shaking his head firmly at the suggestion this one holds more sentiment.

He grew up in Cheshire, winning the England Under-13s Schoolboys trophy with the Terra Nova prep school, and shares the alumni hall of fame with Will Carling and sailor Ben Ainslie. Watson then went to Oakham in Rutland from where England back-rows Lewis Moody and Tom Croft emerged. Heart of England stuff. ‘But I just see this like any other match,’ he insisted. ‘I’ve never been to watch a game at Twickenham. It’s not like: “Oh, God, I want to get them!”. I’ve supported Scotland pretty much all my life — and that’s a true story (Saltire on wall).

‘I think it was more with me because I felt I had to prove to everybody that I was Scottish despite having an English accent.

‘It will be a big game but big just because we haven’t beaten them for ages and not because I lived there for a long time.

‘On the field, it will be slightly different (to Wales). They’ve got quite a big back row but having played against (Sam) Warburton and (Justin) Tipuric, two of the world’s best sevens who, turn-overwise, presented a big challenge, it will be slightly different with England. I’m looking forward to it.

‘When Barcs (John Barclay) plays at six, we have a good person over ball there as well. He was obviously a seven and can now play across the whole back row, so all our back rows are pretty good jacklers and can slow ball, so that’s something we will concentrate on.’

Of all the world’s newly-titled ‘jacklers’, Watson is among the elite — a jackal-type predator who can wrap up player and ball in one swoop until either he steals it, or the referee blows for it being stuck fast. Either way the opposition lose out.

Speed of ball will be central to who gets on top in the 135th Calcutta Cup showdown. If Watson, Barclay and Ryan Wilson can be quicker than their bigger opponents — with Billy Vunipola also back in the mix if he comes through today’s game for Saracens — Scotland will be in contention for a first victory since Jim Aitken’s 1983 underdogs.

Watson has had to fight for recognition, too. A star for Scotland at Under-20s level and Scotland sevens, he had to wait until he was 23 for his Test debut.

It was an ill-starred affair against Italy in 2015 as he came off the bench for Johnnie Beattie, only to finish it back on the sidelines after being shown a yellow card — the missed kick to touch by Peter Horne bringing pressure on the defence and Ben Toolis, another debutant, and then Watson being binned for collapsing Italian mauls, handing Italy a match-winning penalty try.

‘That was really tough to take,’ said Watson. ‘I had such emotions that day. I obviously loved it and you never forget your first cap, and it was a proud moment for me and my family, but then you are yellow carded and you lose at home to Italy for the first time in a while, and that was pretty gutting.

His next involvement was off the bench, again against Italy, in the World Cup warm-up later that year, but he was left out of the tournament squad and it was not until last November that he was selected again as injury ruled out the man who leapfrogged him into the No 7 jersey, John Hardie.

Scotland head coach Vern Cotter (below) has been honest with Watson, however, and played a key role in making the flanker a more rounded player, ready now to supplant the injured Hardie.

‘He (Cotter) gave me my debut cap and while I did not play for a while after that, and it was hard to take that setback, every player you speak to will have had setbacks in their career,’ said Watson.

‘Vern was very up front and honest with me. He gave me things to work on, things he wasn’t happy with in my game, so you just try to go away and work on them and I think I’ve got better at them, and so now I’m getting picked. ‘It’s really positive and exciting for me at the moment. Hards (Hardie) had a great World Cup and has been unlucky with injuries, but I’ve just tried to take the opportunity. ‘And this is a massive opportunity for us all. We haven’t won there since 1983. ‘They’re going for their own record (beating the world record of 18 Test wins) and this is a chance to put an end to all that, which our fans will love. I think there is a lot of pressure on their team, going for that record.’ Watson warned, however, that England are unlikely

to underestimate the Scots this time.

‘We are a team with confidence from this tournament and what we’ve done in Europe,’ said Watson. ‘It was an amazing performance by Glasgow, to zero Leicester at home. It served to put Scottish clubs on the map.

‘Edinburgh haven’t been playing great but we beat Harlequins twice and that has made them more aware that they can’t underestimate us.

‘We heard a lot going into those games that they didn’t know who our players were.

‘The gap (between Scotland and England) has closed. If you look at Glasgow, they have so many international players in their squad and our pack at Edinburgh is almost all capped, so the gap is definitely closing if not closed.

‘But we’ve still got a long way to go to where we want to be in this championship. We have got two big games to come.’