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Bath have confirmed the worst about the injury sustained last Sunday by recent Lions tourist Anthony Watson, admitting that the England winger suffered an ACL rupture that will rule him out from playing for quite some time into 2022. No exact timeframe was given for the length of the 27-year-old layoff’s but he is unlikely to be fit his country’s 2022 Six Nations campaign given the type of injury involved.
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England have since confirmed that his place in the squad will now go to Joe Marchant, the Harlequins back to join with the rest of the squad when they meet on Monday to travel to Jersey.
Watson isn’t unfamiliar with serious injury, as he has previously battled back from two ruptured achilles, but this latest setback is especially untimely as he had been one of England’s rare few shining lights during their miserable fifth place 2021 Six Nations finish and his form was good enough to earn two Lions Test starts versus the Springboks in South Africa.
The seasoned winger was injured 62 minutes into last Sunday’s 71-17 hammering for Bath by Saracens and while he was picked in the England Autumn Nations Series squad the following day, it was always contingent on what the outcome of the initial scan on his knee was. That eventually confirmed the bad news that he won’t play again until 2022 and is unavailable for the upcoming matches versus Tonga, Australia and South Africa.
A Bath statement read: “Bath can confirm that Anthony Watson suffered an ACL rupture during Sunday’s fixture against Saracens. Our medical team are now seeking further advice from a specialist knee consultant in order to provide the best rehabilitation possible for Anthony in the short, medium and long-term.”
We're all behind you, @anthonywatson_ 💙
— Bath Rugby (@BathRugby) October 19, 2021
Bath boss Stuart Hooper added: “We are all feeling Anthony’s disappointment right now. He is a remarkable athlete who will put as much work into his rehabilitation as he does into his on-field performance. We know Anthony will come back stronger from this and we will support him every step of the way.”
The disappointing update on Watson emerged on the same Tuesday afternoon that it was confirmed Luke Cowan-Dickie would also miss the entire autumn series with England. His ankle injury for Exeter last Saturday at Wasps didn’t prevent him from being selected in Eddie Jones’ 34-strong Test squad on Monday, but he had to pull out 24 hours later and his place was given to Jamie George.
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Saracens hooker George had been one of the most high profile omissions from the England squad but has now earned a reprieve not long after it was speculated by some pundits that his omission on Monday was potentially a Test career-ending decision by Jones.
TEAM NEWS: It's been a madcap 24 hours for Jamie George – unwanted on Monday, then called back in by Eddie Jones on Tuesday #England #Sarries
https://t.co/oZjdwB148L— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) October 19, 2021
Comments on RugbyPass
Except for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
33 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
2 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
33 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
49 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
33 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
33 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
33 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
33 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
1 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to commentsObscene that SA haven’t been knocking
1 Go to commentsChances of Blackadder being injured seem too high to give him serious consideration. ABs loosie combination finally looked good with 2 committed to tackling and clearing rucks in the centre and Ardie roaming. Hoskins/Ardie together would force one of them into where they don’t excel and don’t get to use their talent, or require a change in tactics. If we continue to evolve last years systems I would take Papali’i and Finau at 6 and 7 (conceding that Blackadder will be injured) and Ardie at 8.
33 Go to commentsArdie’s preferred position 7? Where do they get these writers from? I've no idea where he's playing in Japan, but the previous two seasons he wore the 7 jersey exactly twice.
17 Go to commentsNot good to hear Ulster described as “financially troubled”. Did not think it was getting to that level. I would hope the Irish system of spreading players of talent away from Leinster would kick in now. Better to have a Leinster fringe player with Ulster or Connacht, then getting only a few games a season in Dublin. 10, for example, would seem to be a case for spreading the talent. I would not be at all adverse to a SA man coming in as head coach/DR. Ludeke is worth trying. Certainly got a long and impressive coaching career at this level…..149 games in SR, then Japan, 30 years experience. And Ulster’s ledger of successful SA coaches and players is on the positive side. Is talk of Ruan Pienaar interested in coming back as a coach…..could be a good combination with Ludeke. And Pienaar and family would have no settling in to do, one would judge. He loved life in Ulster when there, by all reports.
1 Go to commentsSome thoughts to consider here, Sam. Thanks
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