HAMISH Watson is considered the leading inspiration to everyone involved in the mini and junior section at Wilmslow Rugby Club.

The 25-year-old back-rower will be doing his utmost to help Scotland end England’s unbeaten sequence in this year’s RBS 6 Nations when the two nations collide at Twickenham on Saturday.

Watson, who plies his trade with Edinburgh Rugby, has been a regular in the Scotland side this year, playing his part in wins against Wales and Ireland as well as a narrow loss in France.

After making his Scotland debut in 2015, Watson now has eight caps for Vern Cotter’s side and has scored one try.

But it all started for him in the late 1990s at Wilmslow Rugby Club, where experienced voices are tipping the local hero for selection on the British Lions tour of New Zealand in June.

His contemporaries include the current Wilmslow Wolves number eight Alex Taylor, second row Adam Hewitt and Elliot Brierley, who now plays level three rugby in the backs for Macclesfield.

“We always knew Hamish was good,” said Adam Hewitt.

“But none of us imagined he would develop into an international rugby player, now being openly talked about as vying for a place in Warren Gatland’s Lions’ selection.”

Harry Gradon, one of Watson’s coaches from his time with the club, recalled a colts game against a good Macclesfield team.

Watson and Brierley played as centres and Gradon said: “That day, the duo just tackled and tackled and tackled again, and nobody and nothing could get past them.”

Wilmslow’s mini and junior section has long been the source of some outstanding players, including the Mulchrone brothers at Harlequins and London Irish, as well as Chris Davies – an Oxford Blue and now number eight at Richmond.

But reaching elite level marks Watson, renowned for his quick turn of pace and breathless work-rate to the breakdown, as the stand-out.

Nobody at the Memorial Ground quite remembers exactly when Watson first appeared on the scene but he quickly made an impression in age-group sides coached by Bryn Lewis, Gradon and Chris George.

George recalls Watson being a member of a strong group, with Jordan Kennedy and Fraser Atkinson joining Watson in being called up by Scotland under 19s.

They won a lot of tournaments, with Watson scoring the winning try in the Cheshire Under 13s Cup Final at Caldy in 2003.

When Watson left Terra Nova School in Jodrell Bank to go to Oakham School in the East Midlands town of Rutland, he retained a connection with Wilmslow by continuing to play in the juniors and colts teams whenever he was back home during school holidays.

That only ended after Watson joined the Leicester Tigers Academy.

It was in 2011 that Watson, who has grandparents from north of the border, opted for Scotland and pulled on the dark blue jersey at the IRB Junior World Championships that year.

He was offered professional terms with, firstly, the Scottish 7s squad and subsequently in 2014 with Edinburgh.

He might have come to wider prominence earlier had it not been for a broken jaw sustained while playing for Edinburgh two years ago in France against Bourgoin.

Watson, 6ft 1ins tall, made his Scotland debut as a replacement against Italy in the 2015 RBS 6 Nations defeat at BT Murrayfield, before repaying the favour in the Summer Test win in Torino.

He helped Scotland to a narrow one-point loss to Australia before following that up with victories over Argentina and Georgia in November’s autumn internationals and after solid work in the RBS 6 Nations so far this term is expected to gain his ninth cap at Twickenham on Saturday.