​Bath Rugby skipper Luke Watson insists the weight of expectation around the club this season will not affect his side.

With a galaxy of new resources, a generous new owner and after a sparkling end to last season, bookmakers are offering good odds on Bath taking the Aviva Premiership by storm.

But the South African is blocking out the hullabaloo. While acknowledging that Bath are being talked up in some quarters as potential league winners, the 26-year-old is unperturbed.

“The best pressure is pressure you apply to yourself,” he said. “Any external pressure is not a real thing – it’s not tangible, it’s not a physical force, it’s an emotion.

“I look at this upcoming season and there is a lot of expectation, a lot of people saying things, but at the end of the day it’s about what our expectations are as a side that will determine how far we will go this season.

“It’s the amount of pressure we put on ourselves to perform to our optimum that will be the deciding factor, not other people’s expectations. It’s the 15 men on the field that will have the say at the end of the day.”

Watson was head coach Steve Meehan’s first choice as captain as soon as last season’s skipper, Michael Claassens, ruled himself out.

Ever since he was confirmed in the role, Watson has emphasised how he is just one among many experienced leaders in the team.

And he believes that will make Bath a potent force for the forthcoming campaign.

“Having guys all over the park who are potential leaders in their own right, and who could have easily fitted into the captaincy role, is going to make my job a lot easier,” he explained.

“Having guys like Lewis Moody, Stuart Hooper and David Flatman helps me do less talking on the park and more planning.”

Although an automatic name on the team-sheet, Watson believes the strength and depth of Bath’s loose forward division will keep him on his toes.

As recently as a year-and-a-ago, the Bath back row looked vulnerable and was prone to being exposed on the big occasion. But now it is of oceanic depth: Moody, Simon Taylor, Andy Beattie, Ben Skirving and Watson himself are the experienced, streetwise hands, while local boys Guy Mercer and Josh Ovens are the rising stars who are after their shirts.

“The back row is looking amazing,” acknowledges Watson. “There’s a lot of competition. We have a lot of depth and some youngsters coming through, so we are in a strong position there.”

Watson’s philosophy is to give every player the chance to speak out in training, with no one enjoying a more elevated status than any other.

But with new owner Bruce Craig very much involved in on-field matters and with Sir Ian McGeechan brought in as performance director to work alongside the existing three-strong coaching team, is there not a danger of there being too many voices coming from the top?

“I don’t think that’s a problem,” said Watson. “It’s all about balance and giving people the opportunity to express themselves, contribute to a team environment and take some ownership of it. The more players you have taking ownership of a role within the side the better.

“It’s the old theory of too many chiefs and not enough Indians but in this case we have a lot of young guys who are really hard workers.

“When I first arrived the club had lost quite a few leaders over the summer so it’s now about bringing about a new era and a new bunch of leaders.”

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