'There were a number of clubs interested. We got to quite far down the line with discussions'
In these strained days of seemingly relentless bleak news for Scottish rugby, the retention of Hamish Watson by Edinburgh is a timely fillip.
The flanker is one of the nation’s finest players, a consistently brilliant performer who never seems to have a quiet game. He would not look out of place at a champion side with his ballast and dynamism and breakdown excellence, and indeed, he would enhance many in England and France.
There would have been no ill-feeling among supporters should Watson have decided that, at 29 and in his prime years, after a decade-long shift at the club, it was time to move on. There were eager suitors aplenty in the autumn. Racing 92 were said to be among them, but Watson coyly denied that the Parisians were seriously in the running.
“Every time you get to this time of year it’s a tough decision when you’ve got other interest and other clubs are looking at you,” Watson said. “This was probably the stage of my career that I was considering it more than other years.
“In other years, you pay your agent, he does a job, and he looks and sees what’s out there, but this year I was maybe considering a move and in the end I’m so happy we could get it done and stay in Edinburgh.
“The swinging factor for me in the end was that I love playing for this club. I’ve shown Edinburgh really good loyalty over the years and they’ve repaid their faith and it’s up to me over the next three years to prove myself again, and hopefully get to the business end of competitions and start winning stuff.
“There were a number of clubs interested. We got to quite far down the line with discussions and talking to the people you need to talk to when you’re going to do stuff like that. In the end I’m just happy that we got it done with Edinburgh. They offered me a contract when they heard there was interest out there and we got it done which I’m really excited about.”
Watson will be 32 when his new deal expires, and by then, the chance to earn a big move, maximise his earning potential or simply immerse himself in a fresh rugby environment may be gone.
Edinburgh have never won anything. Richard Cockerill has helped give them teeth and structure, but despite twice reaching the Pro14 play-offs, made a Champions Cup and Challenge Cup quarter-finals, they have yielded only near misses and anguish. What bolsters Watson’s belief Edinburgh is the right place for him, and that the club can match his ambition?
“We are starting to get to the business end of competitions regularly which is certainly something we didn’t do towards the start of my time at Edinburgh,” he said. “We are getting to quarter-finals, we are getting to semi-finals and that’s what it’s all about and what the fans want to see.
“The more we can do that, like we have done under Cockers for the last three seasons, that is what builds confidence. Sometimes you need these experiences to then come to these games and, having been here before, hopefully be on the right side of some of those results.
“Winning some silverware, that’s my ambition as an Edinburgh player. Every rugby player wants to win something in their career and I want to do it with, not my hometown club, but pretty close to it. I’ve been here since I was a teenager and that’s something I want to do with my pro club, I’ve never been anywhere else.
“That did it for me as well – we always say it, but I believe in this group of players, I believe we can do something, and I still feel like we’ve got some unfinished business here.
“The thing that tipped it is people know me, I am quite a loyal guy, and in the end, it’s a family decision as well. My wife loves it here, my kids are too young to know if we moved anyway, the little one is two now, and they were born here, and it will be really nice raising them here as well.”
Cockerill himself is committed to Edinburgh until 2022, taking his tenure at the club to five years and making him the longest-serving coach the club has had since Frank Hadden left in 2005.
“You want continuity in any sort of business or work environment an it’s exactly the same in pro sport,” Watson said. “You want the same players there as long as they’re doing well, continuity in the players base because then you get to know people and its’ exactly the same in the coaching staff.
“For the first time in my career, Cockers has been here three-and-a-half years and after another year-and-a-half, that’ll be the longest I’ve worked with a coach for. It does come into play. You ask about other signings, who we might be bringing in, all that sort of stuff, and it’s all pointing in the right direction for Edinburgh.”
There is, too, the gnawing desire Watson harbours to thrive at the next World Cup. Scotland’s heinous woes in Japan were all the more brutal for the flanker, invalided out of the tournament in the opening pool match when a clear-out from Ireland’s Cian Healy damaged his knee.
“That comes into your thinking, if you go to France you might have to give up international stuff and that’s a massive factor as well,” he said. “To be at Edinburgh, it gives me a great chance to hopefully make the next World Cup.
“The last World Cup was pretty devastating for me and I was involved in the 2015 pre-World Cup stuff, the Tests before we went away, and didn’t make the squad. I’ve been there or thereabouts the last two and only got one appearance.
“If I would have gone away, you might not have made the World Cup squad in France. These are all small factors; you have to sum it all up and go through all the pros and cons.”
Comments on RugbyPass
We dominated the scrums Ben Curry was all over pitch again .Surely James Harper got to be one of best English tightheads
1 Go to commentsRoos is a better option at 6 than 8 for the boks. Needs to work on his windgat though.
1 Go to commentsThe Sharks’ 2nd team maybe?
1 Go to comments‘radical’
1 Go to commentsCome back to Christchurch Robbie, please!
1 Go to commentsI think there is zero chance Sam Cane will be selected for another Test. There is simply no point except sentimentality. Razor is not sentimental- ask Wyatt Crocket. Razor is a ruthless selector
4 Go to comments> It would be best described as an elegant solution to what was potentially going to be a significant problem for new All Blacks coach Scott Robertson. It is a problem the mad population of New Zealand will have to cope with more and more as All Blacks are able to continue their careers in NZ post RWCs. It will not be a problem for coaches, who are always going to start a campaign with the captain for the next WC in mind. > Cane, despite his warrior spirit, his undoubted commitment to every team he played for and unforgettable heroics against Ireland in last year’s World Cup quarter-final, was never unanimously admired or respected within New Zealand while he was in the role. Neither was McCaw, he was considered far too passive a captain and then out of form until his last world cup where everyone opinions changed, just like they would have if Cane had won the WC. > It was never easy to see where Cane, or even if, he would fit into Robertson’s squad given the new coach will want to be building a new-look team with 2027 in mind. > Cane will win his selections on merit and come the end of the year, he’ll sign off, he hopes, with 100 caps and maybe even, at last, universal public appreciation for what was a special career. No, he won’t. Those returning from Japan have already earned the right to retain their jersey, it’s in their contract. Cane would have been playing against England if he was ready, and found it very hard to keep his place. Perform, and they keep it however. Very easy to see where Cane could have fit, very hard to see how he could have accomplished it choosing this year as his sabbatical instead of 2025, and that’s how it played out (though I assume we now know what when NZR said they were allowing him to move his sabbatical forward and return to NZ next year, they had actually agreed to simply select him for the All Blacks from overseas, without any chance he was going to play in NZ again). With a mammoth season of 15 All Black games they might as well get some value out of his years contract, though even with him being of equal character to Richie, I don’t think they should guarantee him his 100 caps. That’s not what the All Blacks should be about. He absolutely has to play winning football.
4 Go to commentswhat’s happening to Ian Peel?
1 Go to commentsAs a Crusaders fan , so disappointed , again.But I think Fergus Burke was all class for the Crusaders in his first game since October last year. Fletcher Newell , was so good at prop. Johnny McNicoll has been gold since returning from Wales. Noah Hotham brilliant , in a coming of age second season for the Crusaders.Jone Rova did really well at centre. The end of the game was tough.Sevu Reece , what a game/season in tough times.
1 Go to commentsFellas a balloon
3 Go to commentsBlues B team on display and made no race of it. By far the best team in SR with the Hurricanes barely getting past the winning post. Up the Blues 💙
7 Go to commentsWould be amazing to have Servette Genève reaching this level
3 Go to commentsThe Crusaders can't buy a win this season. Surely Penney's contract won't be renewed. There's still enough talent in the squad that they oughta be winning more.
1 Go to commentsABs captain for 23 seasons. Decent record. Surely nobody will surpass it. Legend. But alas a typo…
4 Go to commentsJust FYI Rugbypass, I for one am tired of your clickbait titles and thumbnails and will be clicking them no longer. Good day.
1 Go to commentsI think Farrell despite all of the stick he gets in the media is still one of if not the best fly half in the world. He is literally the full package. He can kick one of the best in the world, probably has the best defensive game of a fly half in the world and if he wants to he can run, take contact and find an offload to keep the pace of the attack. I dont know why he isnt spoken more about still being one of the best in the world with the likes of dupont. Farrell is the ultimate captain and team leader and is experienced- he has been in nearly any situation you can think of. I still believe due to these reasons that he is England’s best ever player and is still one of the best players in the world.
48 Go to commentsBlues are dominating up front and that’s been a long time coming. They have won the up front confrontation which is where canes, hilanders and act brumbies are also strong.
7 Go to commentsJust watched brumbies v safas game sadly not a show in he’ll thryr anywhere near quarters or semi contention. Admittedly some issues around new comers bot what stands out for me is coaching management, poor game planning and accuracy.
5 Go to commentsOne tough SOB!
16 Go to commentsI’ve put on 4/5 kilos since the beginning of the season too. Not good kilos. Bad kilos.
7 Go to comments