Versatile Watson - England's Six Nations X Factor

Anthony Watson is a supreme talent. The Bath star and England international is one of the most gifted players around and he has the quality to mature into a top class name.

Watson showed plenty of grit and determination whilst with the British and Irish Lions on tour in New Zealand earlier this year, earning plenty of plaudits from rugby fans across the globe.

Since then, confidence has been high and Watson has gone from strength to strength. From a club perspective, he has been outstanding for Bath since making his debut back in 2013. In 63 appearances at the Recreation Ground, Watson has notched 16 tries – an impressive feat to say the least. But his international record is even better, the 23 year old has scored 14 tries in just 28 games. And he is only going to improve further with experience.

Source: Anthony Watson via Facebook

Versatility is key to succeeding at the highest level and Watson has the skillset to flourish in several leading roles on the international stage. He showed his value to Eddie Jones by stepping in at full back for the injured Mike Brown – Watson was reliable defensively and arguably offered more than the Harlequins man in an attacking sense. He may be a natural winger but Watson is certainly capable of making that full back role his own.

England are blessed with quality on the wing but Jones recognises that Watson brings more to the party than most – that is why he remains a firm favourite with the England coach. As of December 8th, Jones’ side are well fancied for the 2018 Six Nations at 3/4 in rugby union betting odds and Watson will look to play his way into contention for selection ahead of the competition.

With Bath, he remains a key figure out wide and his Premiership record in recent months is exceptional. Watson actually scored in Bath’s defeat to the Exeter Chiefs last time out and England fans will be keeping a close eye on his progress. One of the biggest issues regarding his inclusion for the national side is that his teammates Jonny May and Semesa Rokoduguni sit atop the Aviva Premiership’s top try scorers list with seven.

Will anyone stop @mrjamesshort?!

? @anthonywatson_ with an excellent covering tackle ???? #AvivaPrem pic.twitter.com/6lK4XZloso

— Premiership Rugby (@premrugby) December 4, 2017

Looking at his long term future, Watson will almost certainly take over from Mike Brown at the full-back position. With rapid acceleration and blistering top speed, as well as safe hands and an agile mind, Watson is the ideal player to slot into the number 15 role. He is maturing into a real talent at the position and many union fans will argue that he should be given the chance to prove his worth in February. Only time will tell whether he gets that chance or not.

Bath Rugby are heading in the right direction and another playoff finish beckons on current form. Watson’s individual quality could give Bath the edge in the postseason but helping England to retain the Six Nations title once again will be of primary concern. Eddie Jones will have a plan for Watson in the coming months and, barring any major injury issues, he could be a pivotal figure throughout the tournament.