Fans and journalists don't rate him, but this Scottish 'nobody' hasn't given up on winning them over
Chris Harris sputters into view on the screen sporting what might best be described as a divot in his forehead, as though Bryson DeChambeau had taken his lob wedge and had a right good hack at the Gloucester centre’s bonce.
Half-a-dozen stitches lace the skin above Harris’ left eye together. Mark Atkinson, the Scotland cap’s team-mate, is to blame for the wound. Harris insists he will be fighting fit for Gloucester’s trip to Worcester this Saturday, their first game since rugby’s suspension in what seems like another age, but he is less sure about the state of his pal.
“Mark got a bit hungry and decided to take a bite out of my forehead,” Harris chuckled. “It was just a head-on-head collision during 15 VS 15 in training. I think he came off worse, actually.”
With Harris, brutality is as good a place to start as any. Gregor Townsend, the Scotland coach, loves him for his intelligence and belligerence, his savvy in defence and his ballast in midfield. These are not glamorous traits to the rugby layman, but they are immensely prized by those in the game.
It is not that Harris can’t puncture a line and throw a gorgeous pass – just that he isn’t renowned for the razzle-dazzle like Huw Jones or Rory Hutchinson. Yet he has consistently kept both out of the Scotland centre berths for over a year.
Harris went to the World Cup in Japan while the two maestros watched at home. He then fought off a fit-again Jones to win back his place in the latter half of the interrupted Six Nations, impressing in wins over Italy and France.
He yearned for a crack at the Welsh in Scotland’s final fixture before Covid-19 applied the buffers. Cardiff, of course, was the site of Harris’ first Test start. It should have been a joyous occasion; instead, he still bristles at the memory two years on. His was a grim individual experience amid a collectively miserable display. Scotland were shellacked 34-7.
“That one game has stuck by me and it’s always been there to haunt me. Every interview I do it gets brought up,” Harris told RugbyPass. “I had a poor game, let’s be honest. I just let the moment get to me. I played the occasion as opposed to playing the game.
“I would have loved to have played that recent Wales game for Scotland, a bit of a redemption day, you know? It’s always going to come up.”
In his earliest moments as a Test player, the barbs would get to him. Harris pays no heed to Twitter now – he scarcely bothers opening the app – but for a while, he let the faceless armchair critics beat him down.
A typical Townsend curve-ball, Harris was motoring along nicely at Newcastle Falcons anonymous to all but the biggest anoraks among Scotland fans, eligible through a grandmother, when he was called up in the autumn of 2017.
“If you don’t have the perfect first couple of games… I don’t play in Scotland; no-one really knew who I was, a bit of a slow-burner,” Harris said.
“I’ve got to thank the coaching set-up at Scotland who have stood by me and given me more than one opportunity. That’s what I’m most thankful for. They could have easily just listened to media and binned me off and that could have been it. But the fact that they have stuck by me and given me more opportunities, I am grateful for that. And I think the way that I’ve been playing recently has proven them right.
“I’ve got 18 caps and you wouldn’t have 18 caps if you didn’t have the backing of more than one person. You’ve just got to take the confidence into –hopefully – future games to come. I don’t need the plaudits in the press or social media. It’s nice, but just as I don’t look at the negative stuff, I also don’t look at the positives. I don’t feel I need it. I don’t need to fill my head with stuff. All that matters is that you impress your peers, your coaches, and then hopefully you get the opportunity to put the shirt on and you do the nation proud and you do start to win over spectators.”
Scotland boast the meanest defence in the interrupted Six Nations and look altogether nastier in 2020 than they did during the horrors of Japan. Harris never went missing in the darkest depths of the World Cup campaign, always offered himself to charge and tackle and lodge his bulky frame over ball.
He joined Gloucester after the Falcons were relegated last summer. At 29, he feels the move has done wonders for his attacking swagger and instilled a deeper belief that he belongs on the international stage.
“Getting out my comfort zone in Newcastle – Newcastle was fantastic and I haven’t got a bad word to say about them, that’s where I got the bulk of my Premiership experience and my first caps, but moving has just freshened up so much,” Harris said.
“I’ve learned a lot from players and I think that is coming out on the attacking side. Coming down to Gloucester has definitely helped that.
“I’m hoping it is coming out in games, which I think it is, and if it wasn’t, I don’t think I would be playing for Scotland currently or would have gone to Japan. People probably prefer the ball-in-hand stuff. The other side is overlooked a lot more by spectators. I’m stronger on one side but I still offer a lot on the other side of the ball as well.
“I don’t know what journalists and spectators know about rugby – that would be a generalisation which I don’t want to make. But I think people enjoy watching the attacks, they like to see the wonder-tries, but defence is so important and maybe it is slightly overlooked.”
Gloucester can conjure some of the prettiest and most devastating rugby in England, with Danny Cipriani their sorcerer at fly-half, and so much attacking weaponry in their arsenal.
There is always the sense, though, that they perennially fall short of their full potential. Gloucester resume their Premiership season in ninth place, yet only Sale Sharks have conceded fewer tries and only Wasps have more try bonus points.
“Some of the rugby we played this season was quality,” Harris stressed. “With Danny and some of the other boys we had such a great brand of rugby; it was difficult to defend against when we got it right.
“We’ve got the second-best defence in terms of tries conceded. It’s obviously there – we just give far too many bloody penalties away. But coming to Gloucester has just been brilliant for me, man.”
The Premiership table is a congested maelstrom heading into the bonkers final throes of the season. Only nine points separate Bristol in fourth and Gloucester five places beneath them. If next term’s Champions Cup is expanded as has been widely mooted, the top eight will gain automatic entry to the pool stage.
Gloucester have had a more turbulent lockdown than most. Johann Ackermann, their jovial big coach, left in controversial circumstances and was replaced in even more controversial fashion by George Skivington. David Humphreys has gone as director of rugby, as have each of Ackermann’s assistant coaches.
Skivington is a rookie number one, but he and his lieutenants, Alex King and Dom Waldouck, are spoken about in glowing terms as free-thinking rugby men.
“All this stuff has happened where three coaches have left – it’s like a new club again,” Harris continued. “George likes the nitty-gritty, he’s an honest bloke and that’ll be good for us. Training has been full-on but that’s a good thing.
“As a club nothing has been said in terms of: ‘we have got to finish here’. Because there’s been so much change, let’s just take it week on week, get some wins under our belts and we’ll probably look two or three games in and think, hang on, we can make this.
“I’d love to be in that top four. It’s a given that we’ve got to be in that top eight, make that Champions Cup. Every team at the minute is a top-quality side. There literally aren’t any easy games.”
Wales are looming again as the Six Nations lurches to a finale. Fittingly, given the game’s ghoulish past for Harris, the rearranged fixture will be played on Halloween, although not at the Principality Stadium. How he’d love to send the Welsh dragon and the demons of Cardiff packing. How he longs for Scots to appreciate him for who he is and what he offers.
“I feel like I’ve dealt with that 2018 game well and I can just bury it; I can’t change it, I have just got to control what I can control,” Harris said. “All these clichéd things, but I’m just praying that I’ve done enough to win over a few of the fans, a few of the journalists. Nobody knew me [in 2018] and I still think that nobody does know particularly much about me. Maybe this will enlighten a few people.”
At Gloucester and with Scotland, Harris is making a name for himself the right way, dynamiting opponents, emptying himself for the cause, and continuing to display the very obvious scars of battle.
Comments on RugbyPass
A Turtle has more pace and leg drive than Owen Franks, so it’s a good thing he only had to run 90 metres for that try.
2 Go to commentsOh Tamati Tua was in the vastly over-rated Leon MacDonalds Blues system? Well, no wonder he was wasted, much like Emoni Narawa and Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens under MacDonald. now look at them. Good thing Tua isn’t eligible, the Aussies latch on to any player who isn’t tied down.
2 Go to commentsMark Telea is a lot of things, but a defensive juggernaut has never been one of them. There will be far bigger tests in that regard for the youngster.
10 Go to commentsLove and respect to Fiji but not a chance outside of 7s
4 Go to commentsGood summation Ned. Agree the Canes were out-muscled for once (except at the scrum!) by a focused Brumbies outfit. Tua deserves consideration for higher honors after the way he humbled Jordie and the Canes defense. Thankfully, his lack of eligibility for Oz keeps him from Joe’s plans. While I also agree the injuries affected the Canes performance, some players seemed to lack focus and intensity for this match. Perhaps after the Blues demolished the Brumbies, they thought it was going to be easy? A good reminder that any slip up in preparation can have a big affect on the result. Brumbies deserved that win.
2 Go to commentsKarl Dixon should never have been appointed this fixture, absolute disgrace, He’s not much of a referee anyway, didn't have the balls to send his mate care off
5 Go to commentsBrilliant article! Harry of 8/9
1 Go to comments‘UK athletes' have been in the NFL from the start.
1 Go to commentsIt’s going to be Scott Barrett. He’s the coaches mate and captain of a previously elite team. Ardie a great option but scooter has worked with the coach and Ardie still as big a leader as needed.
23 Go to commentsI commend Colin Scotts bio All Balls. He was the first Aussie to make it to NFL. But he was poached and did a full apprenticeship at the University of Hawaii. He was 130kgs surfed played 1st grade cricket etc. big guy by normal but not NFL standards and a top athlete. Even then the nfl were picking up Tongans and Samoans for their natural size and explosive power. They want explosive power not cardio from the big boys so a guy like Taniela Tupou would have been good if picked up young enough. He has fast twitch and they’d bulk the little lad up and give him something to do. soccer teams set up academies and look for Over Sara’s talent eg Messi was at Barcelona since a teenager and harry kewell went to Leeds as a teenager like 16 or something.
11 Go to commentsThe article alludes to the fact that this isn’t about picking a captain. But picking a great captain. So who would make for a great All Black captain - not just an obvious or safe shoo-in? I’m not sure Ardie’s the guy and Barret doesn’t stand out either.
23 Go to commentsI guess we may all agree on the fact, that the ABs and Boks are the two in contest for No 1 in rugby history (the triple-A sort of) …. the Wallabies, England and France are the next tier, with Ireland being the new kid in town (AA) …. in my view it makes little sense creating imaginary competitions (unless you have too much time to waste)
45 Go to commentsWhat a joke. Total joke and the pundits commentating, all of whom know a bit about the game, could barely disguise their contempt. Reaching for the card then pulling back when he realised a red card would carry further match suspensions is simply not his decision to make. A clear and obvious influence on the outcome of this match and indeed, the championship path.
5 Go to commentsI like the idea, in NZ the Ranfurly Shield and NPC coexist, both having their own bragging rights. The World Cup would be the pinnacle, but the competition and travels of these trophies would be interesting.
45 Go to commentsDon’t worry Sonny bill Williams leave that awkward situation about the curfew in the pass whoever it was it doesn’t matter its no big deal we back our All Blacks through the storm and the thunder until we see the Sun light again.
42 Go to commentsWho listens to this retard? He was a massive liability as a player but obviously a media sensation
42 Go to commentsI’m not surprised by such ‘virtue signalling’ by Sonny Boy. Butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth. He’s such a pious Islamic muppet, imo.
42 Go to commentsI’ve actually never heard of the guy (then I don’t watch League as it is boring). But if he is good enough.. then good luck to him. If not, well, he can always return to league.
2 Go to commentsIt is pretty clear that by almost any measure that NZ are a more successful rugby nation than South Africa. Quite aside from the distasteful events during the last RWC final. NZ lead SA in all significant measurements.
45 Go to commentsDickson went to his pocket for a card, saw who it was, changed his mind and spoke at length to TMO. One angle clearly shows Care diving over a Saints player to kill the ball. 1st yellow, reason given for not Red was player was falling backwards. He was only falling backwards after contact with Lawes. Graham try should have stood. Mitchell did not have both hands on the ball, ball went forward from a Saints boot dragging over it. 2 intentional knock-on's. One of which had an overlap on the outside. If Quins are happy to win by intentional foul play, then it does not say much for them. Would appear to be a bad day for Karl Dickson, also for the RFU in appointing a Ref who spent 8 years as a player at one of the clubs.
5 Go to comments