Springbok vice-captain Victor Matfield said that during his stand-in captaincy in 2008 "I did my best to involve Luke in all the activities". He had invited Watson to contribute but Watson "didn't want to". Matfield also stated, "It is untrue that the other players didn't try to accept him. It is rather a case of Luke never wanting to be part of the Springbok set-up." Matfield revealed that many players had complained about Watson. Watson dismissed the claims after the publication of Smit's autobiography in 2009, saying that it was not possible for one player to so badly affect a 40-member squad. While acknowledging that Smit had done " 'incredibly well with South Africa' " he concluded that Smit's statements were " 'a cop-out' ". On 24 October 2008, the day before the announcement of the Bok squad to tour Europe, Watson declared himself unavailable for selection. His form at the time was considered so poor that he stood little chance of making the squad on merit. Watson had a better season in the 2009 Super 14, and speculation arose again that he might be selected to face the British and Irish Lions. Former Springbok captain Corné Krige said in April 2009 that Watson was playing "unbelievable rugby" and that he would pick him on form as " 'among the best fetchers in the Super 14' ", but not at eighthman. When a Springbok squad was named in May 2009 to face a Namibian team in a warm-up for the Lions tour, Watson was omitted. According to then-Springbok coach De Villiers, Watson was not selected because he was neither the best nor the second best player in his position (8th Man). Stephen Jones, a rugby correspondent for The Times who was following the Lions tour, described Watson as "nothing more than a Currie Cup player" and as a "second or third choice" for a Guinness Premiership club. Jones also described father Cheeky Watson as "just another version of a pushy parent". Watson shone in the 2009 Currie Cup in the absence of the Springboks, and won the "Currie Cup Player of the Year" award. Watson left South Africa to join Bath Rugby in November 2009, when the club was lying 11th of the 12 teams in the Guinness Premiership table after losing key players to drug controversy during the June 2009 off-season. Coming off the bench on his debut for Bath in November 2009, Watson scored a decisive try against the Ospreys.