Hamish Watson 'too light for the Springboks' theory by Stephen Jones obliterated by Scottish fans and pundits like
Fans have taken to Twitter to obliterate a theory from controversial British writer Stephen Jones that Scotland flanker Hamish Watson is “too light” to face the Springboks in this year’s British and Irish Lions tour to South Africa.
Watson was in career-defining form in the Six Nations, earning a nomination for the Player of the Tournament for the first time over contemporaries such as Tom Curry, Justin Tuperic, and Josh van der Flier.
The 29-year-old beat out Antoine Dupont, Tadhg Beirne, Louis Rees-Zammit, Taulupe Faletau and Robbie Henshaw to win the award, becoming just the second ever Scot to do so after current captain Stuart Hogg, who has won twice.
The rugged play of Watson helped Scotland to three wins, including key away victories over England and France for the first time in Six Nations history, from five matches.
His form has rightly put the 41-test international into the debate over British and Irish Lions selection for the upcoming tour of South Africa to face the world champion Springboks, but UK writer Stephen Jones has put Watson in the ‘too light’ category.
Jones wrote in The Times that Watson “may be the best in the Six Nations, but he should not be on the Lions tour” in a column titled ‘Lightweight Hamish Watson is no match for the Springboks‘.
He feared that the Scot would offer a physical mismatch advantage to the Springboks in both height and weight as Siya Kolisi and Pieter-Steph Du Toit would tower over him.
“Watson, at 6 foot 1 and 16 stone, could be giving away as much as eight inches and four stone to opponents,” he wrote as he also rubbed out Welsh pair Josh Navidi and Tipuric under the same criteria.
Jones’ own criteria would also rule out England flankers Tom Curry and Sam Underhill, who are exactly the same height as Watson.
Standing at 1.85m, Watson is listed at 102kg, which is a similar weight to other world-class flankers such as former Lions captain Sam Warburton, All Blacks star Ardie Savea and Wallabies skipper Michael Hooper.
Hoards of Twitter users piled in to debunk Jones’ theory, with one highlighting the last time the Springboks lost a test, in the 2019 World Cup against the All Blacks, the Kiwi’s flankers were Sam Cane, listed at 103kg, and Ardie Savea, listed at 99kg.
Loath to give this much attention, and there's more to it than weight, but briefly:
Sam Underhill is 103KG
Ardie Savea is 99KG
Michael Hooper is 101KG
Sam Cane is 103KG
Justin Tipuric is 100KG
Sam Warburton was around 103KG when he playedAll too lightweight to take on Boks…?
— Jamie Lyall (@JLyall93) April 11, 2021
Hamish Watson doesn't need to be any heavier.
It's his power to weight ratio that makes his so special.
Same as Ardie Savea etc.
— Paul Williams (@thepaulwilliams) April 11, 2021
Last time South Africa lost a Test match the opposition flankers were Sam Cane (listed at 103kg per https://t.co/R8QUAQuqTx) and Ardie Savea (listed at 99kg on https://t.co/R8QUAQuqTx). https://t.co/9WvCbUDw05
— Kevin Millar (@topofthemoonGW) April 11, 2021
This Hamish Watson stuff. Sure it’s been said but shades of Neil Back narrative 20 years ago. No one impressed me more than Watson in 6N (Lions qualified players).
— James Peacock (@jamespeacock79) April 11, 2021
Couldn’t disagree with @stephenjones9 more about Hamish Watson and the Lions but he’s allowed his opinion!
— SJ Evans (@evz76) April 11, 2021
It’s not about weight. It’s about power. Hamish Watson is ridiculously powerful and committed. To suggest he’s too lightweight to be effective against SA shows a real lack of understanding of the modern game. I think Stephen Jones’ journalism is what is really lightweight
— Gareth White (@GJBlanc) April 11, 2021
If Hamish Watson is the best flanker in the Six Nations but shouldn’t be a Lion and the Lions are chosen from 4 of those nations, where exactly does he think this mythical perfect flanker is to be found?
— Elaine R (@EirishR) April 11, 2021
Stephen Jones calling Hamish Watson too light to face Boks is exactly what I hate about this sport.
He’s proven himself in every way as a top rugby player who can tackle, who can score tries, who can gain metres and beat defenders.
But he’s not on 12 protein shakes a day…
— Ruaraidh Britton (@RuaraidhB) April 11, 2021
Re Hamish Watson. Fantastic player, great at what he does, but limited(his passing stats are awful) and he doesn’t consistently dominate his collisions. Metres after contact might be a more telling stat for his effectiveness. A few decent gif moments does not a Lion make.
— Shadwell Jones (@ShadwellJones) April 11, 2021
Watson last played the Springboks in 2018 as Scotland fell short 20-26 at Murrayfield during South Africa’s end of year tour. Both sides scored two tries apiece as penalties proved to be the difference.
The Scottish flanker scored one of his team’s tries from a set-piece special to cap off an overall solid performance against South Africa’s first choice back row of Kolisi, Du Toit and Duane Vermeulen.
Watson completed 11 tackles from 11 attempts and carried eight times for 18 metres, making one clean break.
Aiding Watson’s chances of Lions selection is the pending appointment of Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend as one of Warren Gatland’s assistants for the tour.
According to The Times, English trio Andy Farrell, Steve Borthwick and Graham Rowntree have all pulled out of touring with the Lions, paving the way for Townsend to join Gatland’s coaching staff.
Gatland is reportedly set to confirm those changes this Tuesday.
Comments on RugbyPass
We’re building a bridge but can't agree where the river is.
2 Go to commentsfirst no arms shoulder or helmet tackle into his rib cage is going to be so very painful even to watch. go back to RU mate.
1 Go to commentsBulls by 5. Plus another 50.
3 Go to commentsJohan Goosen avatar. Cute. Surely someone at RP knows how to do a google image search?
3 Go to commentsCan’t these games play a little earlier? Asking for a friend.
3 Go to commentsIt’s impressive that we can see huge stadiums with attendance in the 40 000 to 50 000 region. It shows how popular this competition is becoming. What is even more impressive is the massive growth in broadcast viewership. The URC is one of the two best leagues in the World, the other being the Top14.
7 Go to commentsChristie is not Sottish, like the majority of the Scotland team.
2 Go to commentsHold the phone, decline over-rated. Is it a one game, dead cat bounce or the real thing? Has the Penney dropped? Stay tuned.
45 Go to commentsTotally deserved win for the Crusaders Far smarter than the Chiefs who seem to be avoiding the basics when it matters Hotham showed them what was missing and Hannah seems a real find - a tad light but that can be fixed over time
8 Go to commentsGreat insight into the performance culture with Sarries and I predict Christie will be a fixture in the Scotland team now for some time to come. However, he is slightly missing his own point around Scotland “being soft” when he cites physicality examples in defence of that slight. The issue is much closer to the example he referenced around feeling off before a game but being told “it doesn’t matter, you can still play well” by Farrell. Until Scotland can get their psyche in that square, they will carry on folding under extreme pressure…
2 Go to comments> We are having to adapt, evolve and innovate more than when we were in Super Rugby where there was only really one style that everybody had to play to gain the most success. Have = able to? Interesting what that one style might be? I thought SA sides still had bad tours now, or at least bad schedule, months away? Those extra few hours flights have to be a killer though, no surprise to see their sides doing so badly at the start of the season each year. I wouldn’t enjoy that unfairness as a supporter.
7 Go to commentsThe problem for NZ, and Aus, is they ripped up the SR model and lost a massive chunk of revenue that hasn’t been replaced. Don’t forget SA clubs went North because they were left with no choice, Argy unceremoniously binned and Japan cast adrift. Now SR wasn’t perfect, far from it, but they’ve jumped into something without an effective plan, so far, to replace what they’ve lost. The biggest revenue potential now lies in Japan but it won’t be easy or quick to unlock, they are incredibly insular in culture as a nation. In the meantime, there is a serious time bomb sitting under SH rugby and if it happens then the current financial challenges will look like a picnic. IF the Boks follow their provincial teams and head north then it’s revenue meltdown. Not guaranteed to happen but the status quo is a very odd hybrid, with the Boks pointing one way and the clubs pointing the other way. And for as long as that remains then the threat is real.
45 Go to commentsI think Etene has had some good tuition, likely while at the Warriors to be a professional that helped his rugby jump, but he was certainly thrown in the deep end way too early. Should have arguably 20 less SR caps, and therefor a way better record that he does at his age, but his development would have been fast tracked by the need to satiate his signing away from league. Again, credit to him and others that he has done it so well. Easy to fall over under that pressure in the big leagues like that but he kept at it when I myself wasn’t sure he was good enough.
1 Go to commentsAwesome story. I wonder what a bigger American (SA) scene might have mean for Brex.
1 Go to comments“Johnny McNicholl and the Crusaders” save a Penney. Who has been in camp this week and showed them how to play?
8 Go to commentsSo, reports of the Crusaders’ demise / terminal decline are perhaps just - slightly - premature/exaggerated…? 🤔 Will we see a deep-dive into that by the estimable Rugbypass scribes, and maybe one or two mea culpas? Thought not.
8 Go to comments1. The Chiefs are rudderless without DMac, which enhances his AB chances 2. Chiefs pack are powderpuffs. The hard men arent there anymore 3. They had their golden title chance last yr and wont threaten this yr. Gone in second round of playoffs.
8 Go to commentsHonestly, why did you have to publish such a foolish article the day they play us? 😂
45 Go to comments> They are not standalone entities. They are linked to an amateur association which holds the FFR licence that allows the professional side to compete in the league. That’s a great rule. This looks like the chicken or egg professional scenario. How long is it going to be before the club can break even (if that is even a thing in French rugby)? If the locals aren’t into well it would be good to se them drop to amateur level (is it that far?). Hope they can reset from this level and be more practical, there will be a time when they can rebuild (if France has there setup right).
1 Go to commentsWhat about changing the ball? To something heavier and more pointed that bounces unpredictably. Not this almost round football used these days.
35 Go to comments