Antony Watson retires from rugby

[Insouciant]

A bit of sad news, Antony Watson has made the decision to retire from rugby due to injuries at the age of 30. He played 56 times for England, scoring 23 tries.

There are a few youtube videos that have been released to announce his decision:

England https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Z7etKw ... Nvbg%3D%3D
#Leicester https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMq3h3hVYpY
and a longer video/interview with Ant from For the Love of Rugby https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYlMZZGjLhE

IMO he was a fantastic player player for England across the last decade or so. A player I definitely never would have dropped. Hopefully he has a successful life after rugby. All the best to him and thanks for the memories.

[Mikey Brown]

I was amazed how many times he actually came back and still looked good, to be honest. Sad for him but he had a fantastic career overall. Injury free he would have been one of those selections you simply didn’t question.

[FKAS]

Sad to hear he's retiring at only 30. Hopefully his body isn't in that bad a shape he can't enjoy his retirement and hopefully he's got some things lined up he can enjoy.

The second Tigers winger to retire so far this season. The remainder must be feeling a bit nervous, the cursed number 14 shirt.

[Epaminondas Pules]

He was the reason I really got into watching schools and age grade rugby. Just an absolutely stunning talent coming through. Watching him for St George's you just got excited everytime he got the ball and he never lost that.

And absolute joy to watch throughout his career.

[Mellsblue]

Brillant athlete. I was directly in line of sight of one of his side steps vs Italy at St James Park and the sheer explosiveness was unbelievable. Shame he wasted so much time playing 15 (someone had to).

[Oakboy]

Great player but a sad early retirement.

[Mr Mwenda]

Of course the real tragedy was he never tried playing full back.

He did some great work.

[Puja]

I was amazed how many times he actually came back and still looked good, to be honest. Sad for him but he had a fantastic career overall. Injury free he would have been one of those selections you simply didn’t question.

I think it was at the start of this season (during a period when he'd had 4 games in a row and was therefore definitively fixed this time) that I mentioned his name in a "list of quality England wing options" that explains why Ibitoye is uncapped, and someone asked how I could still think of him as an option for England given his absences. It was because he'd played 4 games and, right from the first one, he'd looked an international playing amidst club players. He just oozed class as soon as he touched the ball, no matter how little game-time he'd had under his belt.

Real shame we never saw the best of him, but I'm glad for what we did see. Moment I will always remember was his involvement in the 2019 semi-final try, where he just effortlessly changed between gears - keeping pace with Daly to draw the outside man, then slowing when the outside man had to turn inside to tackle Daly and somehow being in the perfect position to take the offload from the tackled man, despite not having seemed to speed up or slow down at all, before ruthlessly turning on the afterburners and leaving Goodhue going from having the covering angle to grasping at shirttails. Just sheer, unadulterated class.



Puja

[fivepointer]

Wonderful player. Pity hes had to call it a day but he leaves with his standing in the game very high.

[Mellsblue]

Insert aubergine emojis here.

[paddy no 11]

Quality winger, shame he retired so early