Luke Arscott: I’ll help Anthony Watson but No.15 jersey is up for grabs

Full-back Luke Arscott says he is thrilled about taking on a leadership role at new club Bath in order to get the most out of its talented but youthful backline.
The average age of the Bath backs – excluding the departing Nick Abendanon – in the club’s last match, the European Challenge Cup final loss to Northampton, was below 23.
And Arscott, 30, who joined on a two-year deal after leaving Exeter Chiefs is more than happy to be seen as one of the Rec’s senior men.
Arscott, a direct replacement for Abendanon, said: “A lot of the backs here seem to have been around for a while despite being young.
“But if I can add a bit of experience to the younger guys around me and pass on a bit of knowledge then I’m more than happy to do that.
“It’s a nice situation to be one of the more experienced players and to try and take on a leadership role as the season progresses. I would like to grow into that role.”
While he will play alongside youngsters such as Jonathan Joseph, George Ford and Kyle Eastmond, it is fellow full-back Anthony Watson, 20, who Arscott is most keen to help develop.
He said: “There’s a bit of expectation on Anthony with him having gone on tour with England in the summer and perhaps not having got the crack he probably deserved in the last Test.
“He’s a very dangerous player and has the all-round skills for a 15. He’s probably got to pick his confidence up a bit and back himself on the pitch. He doesn’t need much pushing and I’ll help him get to wherever he wants to be.
“But I want to be in that 15 shirt as much as possible. I’ll be battling with Anthony for that spot.”
Explaining his decision to leave his Exeter contract early, Arscott, who has also previously played for Plymouth and Bristol, said: “Exeter had a lot of young players coming through for the future and when the opportunity to come to Bath came up I bit Mike Ford’s hand off.
“There was a thought about going abroad but for family reasons it was the best option to stay in England.
“What’s impressed me since I’ve been at Bath is the drive that everyone gives each other. The players are driving the standards, and at each session the coaches are wanting to get those marginal gains out of you.
“If something’s not on the money it’s made clear and the improvements are driven by the players.”
TOM BRADSHAW
*This article was first published in The Rugby Paper on September 7.