Latest news with #HamishWatson
BBC News
19-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Edinburgh 47-17 Ulster: Three things we learned
Watson is force again Save for a few worrying moments when Ulster came back at them, Edinburgh put in a meaty performance and conjured one of their best wins of the season. They were physical, creative and pretty ruthless. They stormed into the last eight and have momentum now. Their pack is firing, their backline is delivering tries, there's a fire about them that's lovely to see. A few folk typify it - Magnus Bradbury, Ben Muncaster, Jamie Ritchie and, most especially, Hamish Watson, who's been wildly impressive. He's turning back the clock. Gregor Townsend might be a different challengeThe South Africans are on an excellent run, but games against Edinburgh are usually close. The home team has won every one of them, but the margins have been narrow - 34-28 Edinburgh, 22-16 Bulls, 31-23 Edinburgh, 33-31 Bulls. The most recent meeting was only a few short weeks ago when Edinburgh beat them at the Hive in the quarter-final of the Challenge know they can do it at home, but doing it in Pretoria is a different level. They'll travel with belief, though. Edinburgh have found some steel in recent months. If they can stand up to the Sharks (and should have beaten them) then they can do the same against the answers Lions snubThe winger was a buzz bomb against Ulster; so alert, so sharp, so influential, so ruthless. Three tries and yet more confirmation that even though he has somehow missed out on the Lions, he remains one of the most exciting wings in the now on 15 tries in his 25 games this season following on eight in 10 last season and 16 in 14 the season before. That's 39 tries in his last 49 games for club and Farrell has got this one wrong.
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
'That's what happens when we get it right'
Magnus Bradbury, Edinburgh's captain against Ulster on Friday night, spoke about his team's "tunnel vision" and "steely focus" in the critical win that took them into the URC knockouts as well as securing a place in the Champions Cup next season. Bradbury scored two of Edinburgh's seven tries in a powerhouse performance that also featured a hat-trick from Darcy Graham and an all-action display from Hamish Watson that conjured up memories of the flanker at his Test match best. "That's what happens when you get it right," said Bradbury, who is in fine form having fallen out of the international picture in recent times. Bradbury's inconsistency has held him back over the years, something he's at a loss to explain now that he's firing on all cylinders. "Mate, if I could tell you what it was, I'd answer a lot of questions for coaches. I'm playing well now because I'm just enjoying my rugby. "I'm enjoying being back here at Edinburgh. I'm enjoying coming to work each day. I wake up in the morning, and I can't wait to come and see the boys. I can't wait to come and improve. We talk about, it's a cliche and I hate to say it, but that 1% better every day." The back-row praised the veteran Watson for his outstanding finish to the season. "He's always been quality in my eyes," Bradbury added. "I think there's a bit of a stereotype around, once you reach a certain age. You're rubbish, essentially. I think that's unfair in this day and age. "There's a lot of top-flight rugby players that are over 30 still playing brilliant rugby. And I think Mish is an example of that. With Mish you know what you're getting each week. "I love playing with these guys. That's a big reason I came back. I love playing with Mish. I love playing with Jamie [Ritchie]. I love playing with [Ben] Muncaster."
BBC News
18-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
'That's what happens when we get it right'
Magnus Bradbury, Edinburgh's captain against Ulster on Friday night, spoke about his team's "tunnel vision" and "steely focus" in the critical win that took them into the URC knockouts as well as securing a place in the Champions Cup next scored two of Edinburgh's seven tries in a powerhouse performance that also featured a hat-trick from Darcy Graham and an all-action display from Hamish Watson that conjured up memories of the flanker at his Test match best."That's what happens when you get it right," said Bradbury, who is in fine form having fallen out of the international picture in recent times. Bradbury's inconsistency has held him back over the years, something he's at a loss to explain now that he's firing on all cylinders. "Mate, if I could tell you what it was, I'd answer a lot of questions for coaches. I'm playing well now because I'm just enjoying my rugby. "I'm enjoying being back here at Edinburgh. I'm enjoying coming to work each day. I wake up in the morning, and I can't wait to come and see the boys. I can't wait to come and improve. We talk about, it's a cliche and I hate to say it, but that 1% better every day."The back-row praised the veteran Watson for his outstanding finish to the season. "He's always been quality in my eyes," Bradbury added. "I think there's a bit of a stereotype around, once you reach a certain age. You're rubbish, essentially. I think that's unfair in this day and age."There's a lot of top-flight rugby players that are over 30 still playing brilliant rugby. And I think Mish is an example of that. With Mish you know what you're getting each week."I love playing with these guys. That's a big reason I came back. I love playing with Mish. I love playing with Jamie [Ritchie]. I love playing with [Ben] Muncaster."
BBC News
13-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
'Defensive discipline & accuracy form base for crucial Edinburgh win'
Edinburgh's win over Connacht on Saturday was founded in defence. Connacht had more territory and Edinburgh made more than twice the number of tackles. Nine of the top ten tacklers in the game were in orange, with Hamish Watson - who had an excellent match on both sides of the ball - topping the was also founded on discipline and accuracy. Edinburgh conceded just eight penalties in the 80 minutes, while our lineout functioned almost flawlessly. It seemed to me that there was less dancing in and out of the line prior to the throws in Galway so perhaps simplicity is best in this area.A word for fly-half Ross Thompson, who had an excellent game. His kicking was flawless, defensively he was solid and played a part in Hamish Watson's were a couple of areas of concern though. We conceded a try almost straight from the second-half restart. In our past 10 games we've given up eight tries in the period between 40 and 50 minutes - it's where we are most likely to be lineout looked a little more secure but our maul was repeatedly disrupted and of the eight penalties we conceded, half of them came from interference with the jumper in the air. It happens, but when you realise that it's something the referee is hot on, do you not adapt?Charlie Shiel's brilliant and unexpected run from his own half secured a bonus-point try, with Ben Healy's conversion and subsequent penalty meant a nervous game went Edinburgh's resulting five points mean at the very least we go into the final game of the regular season with a chance of knockout rugby.
Irish Times
10-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Times
Connacht show plenty of fight but URC hopes are ended
United Rugby Championship: Connacht 21 Edinburgh 31 No URC top-eight hopes now for Connacht, but a glimmer for Edinburgh. Connacht's slim hopes of qualifying for the knock-out stages were decided ahead of kick-off; their opponents Edinburgh's still hanging by a thread. It provided the Scottish side with a huge incentive to win, and they were rewarded with the five points necessary to continue their hopes of making the quarter-finals. Connacht, with nothing to lose, produced a worthy performance to sign off their home season before heading to Italy for their final fling. Having arrived in Galway in bullish mood, the Scottish visitors were stacked with experience and some 300 international caps, led by Ali Price and Hamish Watson. Yet, they were made to work hard for the win before eventually being rewarded with maximum points. READ MORE They gave nothing away to Connacht in the first half, and were ahead by 14-0 after 27 minutes - Connacht not helping themselves with the concession of three penalties on the trot. Edinburgh's pack capitalised - Ali Price influential in helping South African Pierre Schoeman to crash over after eight minutes, with outhalf Ross Thompson adding the extras. Influential Hamish Watson, who led the aggressive Scottish back row, did considerable damage to Connacht's ambitions every time the home side tried to make an impression. However, led by Bundee Aki, the home side looked to have scored through Cian Prendergast, but for a forward pass in the build-up. And despite the best efforts of Sean Janson, Conor Oliver and Josh Murphy, Connacht continued to be stymied by the relentless Edinburgh defence. By the half hour mark Hamish Watson, with a dynamic run down the left wing, added try number two, while Connacht did not help themselves with a lack of clinical composure, playing at a frantic pace. Connahct's Bundee Aki and Hamish Watson of Edinburgh after the game. Photograph: James Crombie/Inpho That pressure was relieved with a scrum penalty, but Connacht's failure to find touch did not help their cause. However, they turned out in the second half with a different mindset, giving the crowd in this final home game of the season something to cheer about. It came within two minutes of the restart after Shayne Bolton made a crucial break, and with a big carry from Prendergast, and Aki again influential, eventually wing Finn Treacy grabbed a try, with Hanrahan adding the extras. Within minutes Treacy had bagged his second - Ben Murphy delivering to Treacy from the base of a ruck, and the left wing bursting through untouched to level the scores. However, Connacht, getting on the wrong side of the referee, continued to leak penalties, and the visitors made it count with a 57th-minute converted try for Ben Muncaster. A missed Edinburgh penalty to touch produced a superb response from the home side and a collapsed scrum provided Connacht with another scoring opportunity. Kicking to touch, they were eventually rewarded. Peter Dooley and Josh Murphy were instrumental in the build-up before Cordero found Bolton had the pace to claim the third try, levelling the fixture at 21-21. However, when Connacht were denied a fourth try despite the best efforts of Paul Boyle when Hamish Watson made his mark at ruck time, it gave Edinburgh renewed hope. A breakout try through replacement Charlie Shiel, converted by Healy delivered maximum points, despite the best efforts of Connacht's departing Santiago Cordero. The visitors saw out the game with a late penalty; Connacht signed off a difficult home season, despite delivering one of their better displays. Scoring sequence: 7 mins Schoeman try, Thompson con 0-7; 26 mins Watson try, Thompson con 0-14; Half-time: 0-14; 41 mins Treacy try, Hanrahan con, 7-14; 51 mins Treacy try, Hanrahan con 14-14; 57 mins: Muncaster try, Thompson con 14-21; 65 mins: Bolton try, Hanrahan con 21-21; 72 mins: Shiel try, Healy con 21-28; 79m Healy pen 21-31. Connacht: S Cordero, S Bolton, H Gavin, B Aki, F Treacy, JJ Hanrahan, B Murphy, D Buckley, D Heffernan, F Bealham, J Murphy, D Murray, C Prendergast (C), C Oliver, S Jansen. Replacements: D Hawkshaw for Gavin (HT), P Boyle for Jansen and O Dowling for Murray (both 54m), P Dooley for Buckley, D Tierney Martin for Heffernan and J Aungier for Bealham (62m), C Blade for Murphy (66m), Murray for Dowling (71). Edinburgh Rugby: W Goosen, D Graham, M Currie, M Tuipulotu, J Brown, R Thompson, A Price, P Schoeman, E Ashman, D Rae, M Sykes, S Skinner, B Muncaster, H Watson, M Bradbury (C). Replacements: P Harrison, B Venter, J Sebastian for Rae (50m), F Thompson for Tuipulotu (54), P Harrison for Ashman (66m), G Young, L McConnell, C Shiel for Price (67m), G Young for Sykes and B Healy for Thompson (both 71m), L McConnell for Muncaster (73m). Referee: Ben Breakspear (WRU).
