Bristol's Fitz Harding puts England 'dream' on the back burner for now

Bristol Bears skipper Fitz Harding admits that he would gladly sacrifice winning an England cap this season for the chance to lift some silverware at the end of the season.

The Bears, with eight games left, are third in the Gallagher PREM table, five points ahead of sixth-place Saracens as the race to finish in the top four hots up when they visit Leicester Tigers on Sunday afternoon.

Back-row Harding, 26, was part of the Bears squad that lost a PREM semi-final to Bath last season and says that it’s time for them to take the next step, even at the expense of a lifelong dream.

“Every club in the Gallagher PREM will probably say the same thing. We want to be winning stuff, and we’re focused on doing that.

“Since that semi-final against Quins, it has been about rebuilding, and I think we’re in a really good place as a squad to then go and compete for those big titles.

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Gallagher Premiership

Leicester

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Bristol

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“You know, there’s so much that I can’t control in terms of international call-ups, but people sometimes forget, we have never won the PREM before.

“So, to be part of the first squad to do that, to be the first Bristol captain to do that, would mean an incredible amount. I spoke about it at our meeting on Monday.

“I said, you know, this is it now for the next couple of months, these are the games that are going to really matter if we want to be the team that we think we can be. Now’s the time to perform, and I think we’re ready to do that,” he said.

Harding, who has come from Durham University’s fourth team, signed a new deal with the club in October, a month before winning two England caps against an All Blacks XV and Spain.

England coach Steve Borthwick uses the A side as a feeder to the senior side, but Harding, who has made 97 starts out of 112 appearances for the Bears, isn’t giving it much thought.

“Obviously, I’d love to play for England. As a boy, that was always my dream. It’s still my dream, like I said before. There’s a lot I can’t control.

“And the thing that I’m putting my focus and energy into is making sure that I’m the best possible captain, to give us the best possible chance of lifting silverware,” he added.