HAMISH Watson has been named Guinness Six Nations Player of the Championship after winning the biggest ever vote for the award. The Scotland and Edinburgh flanker, who played all but 14 minutes of his team’s five games, won 35 percent of the 125,000 votes cast by supporters to see off the challenge of Louis Rees-Zammit and Taulupe Faletau of Wales, Tadhg Beirne and Robbie Henshaw of Ireland, and last year’s winner, Antoine Dupont of France.
"I’m very surprised - obviously loads of top players were up for the award,” Watson said. “I think when you do win something like that, it’s full credit to the team I’m in as well.”
Edinburgh coach Richard Cockerill said the 29-year-old had done all he could to win selection for this summer’s British & Irish Lions tour to South Africa. “I’m delighted for him, and hopefully that will put him in a really strong position for the Lions tour,” Cockerill said. “He can’t do any more than what he has done to be in the selection picture.
He does EVERYTHING!
— Guinness Six Nations (@SixNationsRugby) April 2, 2021
Watch #GuinnessSixNations POTC 2021 Hamish Watson's best runs, passes, tackles and clearouts.... pic.twitter.com/04fFXjtw6y
READ MORE: Scotland head coach plays down talk of inferiority complex ahead of Six Nations opener
“No one would be surprised if he got selected, but there are some very good players in other countries.Let’s keep fingers crossed that there is an opportunity for him there.”
Watson is only the second Scot to win the accolade since it began in 2004. Stuart Hogg was the winner in 2016 and 2017.
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