Anthony Watson’s return is imminent – and that’s still good news for England

Leicester Tigers’ Anthony Watson is close to playing his first competitive match of the calendar year after suffering months of injury problems.

Leicester Tigers director of rugby Michael Cheika has declared that the 30-year-old England wing is “available for selection” for the Gallagher Premiership match against Bath on Sunday at Welford Road.

Yet having suffered a variety of calf, achilles and back problems over the past 12 months, Leicester are keen to ease his return to action. Yet while Cheika is not particularly up to date with his potted injury history, he clearly remembers the danger that a fit and firing Watson poses with his try for England against Australia in the 2015 World Cup firmly lodged in his memory.

“I don’t know too much about his journey with injuries; I just remember him carving us up when I was coaching Australia,” Cheika said. “We were talking about the 2015 World Cup, when he scored the try down the right. It’s one of the rare times I thought in game ‘we’re in a bit of trouble here’. It was a brilliant try, the crowd went crazy, and when you’re the opposition team away from home there is a bit of a wave coming.

“I’ve not been across what’s happened to him recently, but he’s been pretty good in preseason around his availability. He’s had a few little set-backs, but has done most things. He had a set-back towards the end [of pre-season] which is why he wasn’t available for the first game, but it’s good to see he’s available now.”

Another England international, second row George Martin, is available for selection for the visit of Bath to the Mattioli Woods Welford Road. However, Ollie Chessum, who captained Leicester to an opening round win away to Exeter Chiefs, will miss out though a concussion

“Chessum got ruled out through the head injury on the weekend,” Cheika said. “He came on, came off, but I think they made a mistake or something – I’m not sure. He’s been ruled out afterwards now, so he can’t play this week.”

Watson’s international days are not over yet

It would be easy for Anthony Watson to feel like the forgotten man of English rugby.

He has not featured for Leicester in this calendar year. His last appearance for England came in a wretched World Cup warm-up defeat to Ireland that most people have done their best to scrub from their mind.

A lot has happened since that defeat in Dublin. A whole new generation has emerged and blossomed into Test rugby with George Furbank, Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso appearing to nail down their places in the back three.

Yet Watson is still on 30, well within his prime and will remain a beguiling option for England head coach Steve Borthwick, who signed him at Leicester Tigers. Watson offers both security under the high ball and defence as well as a counter attacking threat and a maturity that would complement the young pups in England’s back three brigade.

Again it may have slipped from many people’s minds that Watson has started in five of the past six Lions Tests. If – and it is a big if – Watson can get a run of games and prove his fitness expect him to come back into the international reckoning sooner rather than later.