Cape Town – Luke Watson has never been far away from controversy.
We caught up with him in Port Elizabeth on Wednesday and lobbed ten questions in his direction ...
Will it be emotional to be at Newlands for the first time since 2009?
I imagine that there will be a bit of nostalgia. It has been a long time. I wouldn’t want it to be too emotional, but it will crack a little smile on my face – running on to the field. It will be completely different – I’ve only been once in the away changeroom, at 19 with the Sharks.
I’ve got so many fond memories there, and every now and again, some people who supported me when I was there send me photographs of those days. I couldn’t ask for a better period in my life than playing for the Stormers.
What kind of reception are you expecting from the crowd?
I’m not too sure. To be honest, I don’t really think about that sort of stuff too much. Who knows? It will be interesting to see. The thing about the Kings is that I don’t give myself too much thought or energy.
We just try to focus on the cause and we don’t want this Luke Watson personality to ever overshadow the Kings and things like that.
The Kings were expected to concede big scores, but that didn’t happen, except against the Waratahs. What do you put that down to?
Our defence is one of our key pillars. A lot of credit must go to Omar Mouneimne, who I actually worked with at the Stormers and who is at the Kings now. He is incredibly passionate and has been able to give us the tools to have a formidable defence. But enthusiasm, commitment and guys rallying for a common cause has been our strongest asset this season. The guys buying into our vision and our union, our cause as the Southern Kings. Every weekend, getting up and fighting for that sort of thing.
You form a good loose trio with Wimpie van der Walt and Cornell du Preez. How is it going, and now you face a Stormers loose trio?
The Stormers always have good loose forwards, especially during my years! No, I’m joking! Good loose forwards are one of the Stormers’ strengths, even if two guys are injured.
Wimpie and Cornell have been phenomenal, and Jacques Engelbrecht has had a fantastic season. The loose trio is definitely one of our strengths, and I hope that Wimpie and Cornell, as they get more experienced and play a few more seasons, can eventually get higher honours.
Was your wife happy that you got rid of the beard?
I think everyone was, except myself and my daughter! My daughter loved it! My wife (Elaine) didn’t mind the beard too much, but I think she is glad that it’s gone.
The Kings created history by winning the most games for a new team coming into Super Rugby. How do you feel about that?
There have been one or two tough games where we’ve sort of let things get away from us. But generally speaking, the commitment, enthusiasm and heart that the guys have showed, they responded well.
Are you worried about playing a promotion-relegation game?
We don’t really talk about promotion-relegation. The Stormers haven’t had the results that they would’ve wanted or deserved. But I am still an avid Western Province and Stormers supporter. They have a quality side, so we want to go out there and play to the best of our ability, keep to our structures, and do what we can do. If the result goes our way, fantastic.
Do you think ex-Cape players like Demetri Catrakilis and Schalk Ferreira want to prove a point?
I don’t think so. I don’t think that we are that sort of side. We have to prove a point every weekend against any opposition. We have our detractors all over the place. So, we are trying to prove a point every weekend, playing against the odds.
Rain is expected at Newlands on Saturday, so can we expect a few drop goals from Demetri and a try from a maul from yourself?
I hope so! Demetri has been in fantastic form, and his last kicking display against the Cheetahs – unbelievable. He was getting it over from everywhere! He has a lot of fond memories of Cape Town. I expect both 10s to play a significant role, and even Joe Pietersen kicking from the back. It will be quite a tactical game, and quite attritional upfront.
Would you consider playing for the Stormers or WP again? What’s the road ahead for Luke Watson and the Kings?
I hope that the Kings are afforded the opportunity of carrying this momentum forward. I don’t think that it would be fair on the players in this region or the public – we have had massive crowds every weekend, 20-odd thousand every weekend. I don’t think it would be fair on the whole community if the Kings were denied longevity, let’s call it that.
Whether I would come back to the Stormers, I’m not too sure. To be honest, I don’t think they need me! They’ve got enough fantastic young loose forwards coming through. They should invest in the youth. But I can’t understate how much respect I have for WP. There were some tough and difficult moments, and I had to take that on the chin, but those would never overshadow the good moments. - Cape Times
*Update: The Southern Kings announced on Thursday afternoon that Luke Watson will not travel to Newlands to face the Stormers because he has the flu. Andries Strauss will captain the side.