'What I was meaning...': Hamish Watson has again revisited his comments about Zander Fagerson's Six Nations red card
Guinness Six Nations player of the tournament Hamish Watson has revisited the round two red card suffered by fellow Scotland forward Zander Fagerson and reiterated how his initial comments in the wake of the prop’s Murrayfield sending off were wrong. Watson said in the immediate aftermath of the narrow February 13 loss to Wales: “That was a rubbish call. An absolutely dreadful call. That’s not rugby, that call.”
The back row soon recanted, tweeting: “Poor comments from me, emotions were very high after losing a very tight match. Players’ health is paramount.” The 29-year-old Watson, who is tipped next month for Lions tour selection, has now revisited the Scotland controversy in the company of The Rugby Pod, going back over his view of the red-carded Fagerson tackle on Wyn Jones that received a four-match ban.
“It’s so tough,” he told co-hosts Andy Goode and Jim Hamilton about the recent clampdown by referees. “Especially after that Wales incident, you saw in the weeks after that it was red card after red card and it is so hard.
“After I had cooled off after the things I had said and I looked at it, obviously by the letter of the law it is a red card. Player safety is the main thing and Wyn Jones could have been hurt, so I understand what I said was wrong and I didn’t put it across in the best way.
“But what I was meaning, I just think almost every other ruck you could give a yellow card and that is the problem at the moment with rugby. Yes, by the letter of the law, that is 100 per cent a red card and the other ones we have seen are probably red cards but sometimes there needs to be a bit of room there.
Player of the @SixNationsRugby and the finest mullet in rugby, Scotland's @hamishwatson7 joins us on the Pod this week🏴
Listen 👉 https://t.co/rDLwYyPvlp pic.twitter.com/ggA7JUBzgb
— The Rugby Pod (@TheRugbyPod) April 13, 2021
“It’s so tough because it is all about the concussions and the stories you hear at the moment going around with some ex-rugby players, you have got to look after the players. It is a red card but it is a hard one because we all know that stuff goes on quite a lot.”
Co-host Hamilton recalled that during his time playing for Scotland that the call in the defensive line was “kill” and he wanted to know if the terminology currently used in the game at Test level by Watson and co was just as drastic or had it been diluted due to increased safety concerns.
“The problem with it is it’s such a physical sport and if you almost don’t go in with your physicality right, everyone would have had those days where you are not physically at that point that you need to be at to play a game of rugby, and that is when you tend to get hurt if you are not switched on,” continued Watson, who has won 46 Scotland caps since a 2015 debut.
“The coaches and staff probably try and get away from using words like that but you still need to almost go in with that attitude. It is a physical sport, what you are doing can hurt people, even when you do it in the cleanest ways. It is a tough one. If you don’t go in with the right attitude you are going to get hurt as well, so it is just trying to keep it as clean as possible.
“Now there is a lot more coaching, especially towards the back end of the season, and they are saying watch out for this, watch out for even doing a hold-up, if you get someone around the neck then it is going to be a card, so the coaches are trying to bring it – but you are doing everything at such a quick tempo that stuff does go wrong because if you are not fully committed then you are going to end up hurting yourself.
“I don’t think any player goes in thinking, the ones where they haven’t wrapped an arm and they end up hitting them in the head, no player is deliberately doing that,” he said, adding that the differences in the coaching of tackles between club and international set-ups can add to the difficulty in getting it right.
“It’s really hard. I remember I used to be a low chop tackler and then when Alan Solomons and Omar (Mouneimne) came in our defence system was all about tackling high and you all had to tackle high and hold up and slow the ball down by going high. To change your attitudes is quite hard.
“Players with their club team who maybe choke and tackle high to slow the ball down instead of jackaling then go back to their international set-ups and give away a few penalties for getting their body shapes wrong or going too high, it is tough to change in an eight-week camp. That is really tough.”
There is no English representation on the Lions coaching team chosen by Gatlandhttps://t.co/01jJk0rfEm
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) April 13, 2021
Comments on RugbyPass
It was a let’s-see-what-you're-made-of type of a game. The Bulls do look good when the opposition allows them to, but Munster shut them down, and they could not find a way through. Jake should be very worried about their chances in the competition.
2 Go to commentsHats off to Fabian for a very impressive journey to date. Is it as ‘uniquely unlikely’ as Rugby Pass suggests, given Anton Segner’s journey at the Blues?
1 Go to commentsSad that this was not confirmed. When administrators talk about expanding the game they evidently don’t include pathways to the top tier of rugby for teams outside of the old boys club. Rugby deserves better, and certainly Georgia does.
1 Go to commentsLions might take him on if they move on Van Rooyen but I doubt he will want to go back, might consider it a step backwards for himself. Sharks would take him on but if Plumtree goes on to win the challenge cup they will keep him on. Also sharks showing some promising signs recently. Stormers and Bulls are stable and Springboks are already filled up. Quality coach though, interesting to see where he ends up
1 Go to commentsAnd the person responsible for creating a culture of accountability is?
2 Go to commentsMore useless words from Ben Smith -Please get another team to write about. SA really dont need your input, it suck anyway.
264 Go to commentsThis disgraceful episode must result in management and coach team sackings. A new manager with worse results than previous and the coaching staff need to coached. Awful massacre led by donkeys.
1 Go to commentsInteresting article with one glaring mistake. This sentence: “And between the top four nations right now, Ireland, France, South Africa, and New Zealand…” should read: And between the top four nations right now, South Africa, Ireland, New Zealand and France…”. Get it right wistful thinkers, its not that hard.
23 Go to commentsHow did Penny get the gig anyway?
2 Go to commentsNice write up Nick and I would have agreed a week ago. However as you would know Cale & co got absolutely monstered by the Blues back row of Sotutu, Ioane and Papaliti and not all of these 3 are guaranteed a start in the Black jumper. He may need to put some kgs before stepping up, Spring tour? After the week end Joe will be a bit more restless. Will need to pick a mobile tough pack for Wales and hope England does the right thing and bashes the ABs. I like your last paragraph but I would bring Swinton, Hannigan into the 6 role and Bobby V to 8
21 Go to commentsThe Crusaders can still get in to the Play Off’s. The imminent return of outstanding captain Scott Barrett and his All Black team mate Codie Taylor will be a big boost.There are others like Tamaiti Williams too. Two home games coming up. Fellow Crusader fans get there and support these guys. I will be.
1 Go to commentsCant get more Wellington than Proctor.
2 Go to commentsWhy not let the media decide. Like how they choose the head coach. Like most of us we entrust the rugby system to choose. A rugby team includes the coaches. It's collective.
13 Go to commentsHi NIck, I have been very impressed with him and he seems a smart player who can see opportunities which Bobby V _(who must be an international 6_) doesn’t see or have the speed to take advantage of. If he continues to improve and puts on 5kgs then he could be a great 8. He is a bit taller than Keiran Reid at 1.93m and 111 kgs, so his skill set fits his body size and who knows where it will lead. I hope the spate of Achilles tendon issues have been dealt with by the S&C people. It’s been a very long time since Mark Loane and Kefu stood out at 8. The question is will we be able to hold onto him, if he does make it he will be pretty hot property. I disagree with the idea of letting them go to the Northern Hemisphere and then bring them back.
21 Go to commentsBilly Fulton 🤣🤣🤣🤣 garrrmon not even close
13 Go to commentsDoes the AI take into account refs? hahaha Seriously why not have two on field refs to avoid bias?
23 Go to commentsVern challenging this Blues side might be the edge they need to fulfill their potential. Convincing results from strong D and strong carries are hard to argue against.
1 Go to commentsLove seems to add a strong back field defense with speed to close the gap and tackle to his ability to attack, kick and pass (an accurate long pass). This sets him an edge over some of the other names - JRK in particular. Has to be said that Jordan and Stevenson have also been exposed defensively while Love has yet to face test match intensity. Spoilt for choice.
1 Go to commentsHe’s strung together a few strong seasons, I’d like to see him in the ABs and build some depth along with Reiko and ALB. Levi Aumua hasn’t taken the step we hoped to see but time yet.
2 Go to commentsWhere has our good friend Pecos gone!? Similar place to the Crusaders D, the abyss.
4 Go to comments