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'My girlfriend was looking at me like what the f***? I felt exactly the same': How one of the Lions' biggest surprise picks reacted to tour selection
Warren Gatland’s decision to include Scotland midfielder Chris Harris in his 37-strong Lions squad to tour South Africa has been one of the most hotly debated selections in the wake of last Thursday’s announcement. On one side of the debate is a cohort who view Gatland’s preference for the 30-year-old as well deserved as the 28-cap midfielder has been in the form of his life since becoming a must-pick for his country, Harris appearing in all 14 matches since the World Cup and starting on eleven occasions.
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However, on the other side of the argument is a posse who feel Harris is fortunate to be chosen to tour South Africa, his credentials being helped by the presence of Gregor Townsend, his Scotland boss, being one of Gatland’s assistant coaches.
Whatever the truth of that argument, the fact is Harris was one of four midfield pick to make the cut, joining Bundee Aki, Elliot Daly and Robbie Henshaw in a squad where the names of the likes of Manu Tuilagi, Garry Ringrose and Jonathan Davies – to name but three – didn’t feature.
Harris was with his Gloucester teammates watching the announcement unfold on live TV and having tried to shut his possible selection out of his mind in the weeks before, he thought his chances were over when he heard the names of Aki and Daly announced in a selection that was read out in alphabetical order.
Appearing on The Rugby Pod with Andy Goode and Jim Hamilton, Harris explained his feelings surrounding his Lions squad selection, from getting a ‘Save the Date’ message in April to what it has been like for him the days following his pick by Gatland.
'His running lines have improved a lot but also he has got more confidence in taking on the opposition with the ball in hand.'
– @heagneyl 👨💻 #SCOvIRE https://t.co/srNiasrbMY
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) March 14, 2021
“I had the email to say, ‘oh you’re in contention’,” he told The Pod. “There is a load of stuff going on in the media about Chris Harris Lions this, Lions that and I just sort of went, I’ll ignore it because I didn’t want to think about it and then I got that email which was about two weeks before the announcement and I was like, ‘s***, there is a chance’.
“But even still, I didn’t want to think that it was going to happen because if it didn’t I’d fall off a cliff. I tried to bat it off. Even boys nudging me did you get the email, I was no, no, no because I didn’t want any of that.
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“So in terms of being in the squad I’d no idea and as the names were coming up it went Bundee Aki and when it got to Daly I was alright, that is two centre options, I was like well maybe not. And then it said Chris Harris, honestly I was in shock, absolute shock. That was my initial feeling.
“My phone was blowing up. I called my girlfriend straight up and she was looking at me like what the f***? I felt exactly the same. I was in utter shock and it probably took a couple of days to just sink in – and it’s such an amazing feeling. The best day of my life was probably a couple of days after when I allowed it to sink in and reflect on it because at the time I was just mind-blown. Once it sunk in I was wow-wee, this is properly special. I didn’t even imagine it.
“During the Six Nations, I wasn’t even thinking about that. It is a cliche but I never think more than a week or two ahead. I just keep focused in that way and that is how I get the best out of myself. That is why I am so mind-blown, I wasn’t expecting it at all.
“Now, seeing boys like Kyle Sinckler’s reaction, how much it means to them, how devastated they are (at non-selection), it just makes you think even harder. You look at the boys who haven’t been selected and you’re wow, what an absolute honour.”
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Asked if he managed to go training with Gloucester last Thursday afternoon following his Lions selection, Harris added: “It was such a weird one. I was out for a week with my shoulders anyway so I didn’t actually have to do the training, I just had a running session, a bit of fitness.
“After it was announced I was on the phone to a couple of people and then Skivs [George Skivington] came running out and was, oh mate congratulations. He was mate enjoy it, take your time, don’t rush to get to training, we’ll see you when you get there.
“I pottered about for a bit and just got that shock out of the way, went down and all the boys just congratulated me. It was bizarre, man. I got on with the running, did the running and when I got home, went out for a meal with the missus and had a couple of drinks, but I’m still in shock now to be honest.”
You can't not be happy for @charris_13 after listening to him on this week's Pod.
He'll be a quality addition to the @lionsofficial 🦁
Spotify 🎧- https://t.co/gHpojO3bNQ pic.twitter.com/ptMHqDlz4c
— The Rugby Pod (@TheRugbyPod) May 11, 2021
Comments on RugbyPass
Dagg is still trying to get enough headlines to make himself relevant enough to get a job. The Crusaders went back to square one at all levels. Shelve this season and nail the next one.
4 Go to commentsHe was in such great form. Sad for him but only a short term injury and it will be great to see him back for the finals.
1 Go to commentsAfter their 5/0 start, I had the Crusaders to finish Top 4 only…they lost the plot in Perth but will reload and back themselves vs 4th placed Rebels…
3 Go to commentsBoth nations missed a great opportunity to book a game that would have had a lot of interest from around the world. I understand these games can’t be organised in 5 minutes but they should have found a way to make it happen. I don’t think Wales are ducking anyone but it’s a bad look haha.
3 Go to commentsIt will be fascinating to see the effect that Jo Yapp has. If they can compete with Canada and give BFs a run for their money that will be progress
1 Go to commentsFollowing his dream and putting in the work. Go well young fella!
3 Go to commentsPerhaps filling Twickenham is one of Mitchell’s KPIs. I doubt whether both September matches will be at Twickenham on consecutive weekends. I would take the BF one to a large provincial stadium so as not to give them the advantage and experience of playing at Twickenham before a large crowd prior to the RWC.
3 Go to commentsvery unfortunate for Kitshoff, but big opportunity potentially for Nché to prove he is genuinely the best loosehead in the world, rather than just a specialist finisher. Presuming that if Kitshoff is out, it will also give Steenekamp a chance to come into the 23? Or are others likely to be ahead of him?
1 Go to commentsA long held question in popular culture asks if art imitates life or does the latter influence the former? Over this 6 nations I can ask the same question of the media influencing the thoughts of its audience or vice versa. Nobody wants to see cricket scores in rugby, as a spectacle it is not sustainable. With so many articles about England’s procession and lack of competition it feeds the epicaricacy of many looking for an opportunity to pounce. England are not the first team to dominate nor does it happen only in rugby, think Federer, Nadal, Red Bull or Mercedes, Manchester Utd, Australia in tests and World Cups. Instead of celebrating the achievements why find reasons to falsify it pointing towards larger playing pool, professional for a longer period or mitigate with the lack of growth in other nations. Can we not enjoy it while it is here and know that it won’t last for ever, others coveting what England have will soon take the crown, ask the aforementioned?
6 Go to commentsShame he won’t turn out for the Netherlands now they’re improving. U20s are Euro champs and in the U20 Trophy this year. The senior sides gets better every year too.
3 Go to commentsWill rugbypass tv be showing these games?
1 Go to commentsWell where do you start, the fact that England have a professional domestic league and Ireland’s is fully amatuer, that they have fully seperated professional squads at Fifteens and Sevens (7’s thinly disguised as GB), and Ireland have fully pro Sevens squad who loan some players back to the Semi-Professional Fifteens squad (moved from amateur for only a year or so) for a few games at 6N & RWC’s. The Women’s games is a shambles, and is at risk of killing itself by pushing for professionalism when the market isn’t really there to support it outside one or two countnries..
6 Go to commentsWayne Smith's input didn't have as much impact on the last final as Davison's red card for Thompson. England were 14 points up and flying when that happened.
6 Go to commentsBilly's been playing consistently well for 2 - 3 seasons now and deserves a look in at the top level. Ioane and ALB are still first choice but there needs to be injury cover and succession. His partnership with Jordie gives him first dibs you'd think. Go the Hurricanes.
3 Go to commentsIt’s not up to Wales to support Georgian Rugby. That’s up to International Rugby and Georgia. I sympathise with Georgia’s decent attempt to create this fixture. But for Wales the proposed match up is just a potential stick to beat them with and a potential big psychological blow that young Welsh team doesn’t need. (I’m Irish BTW.)
3 Go to commentsCale certainly looks great in space, but as you say, he has struggled in contact. At 23 years old, turning 24 this year, he should be close to full physical maturity and yet there exists a considerable gap in the power and physicality required for international rugby. Weight doesn’t automatically equate to power and physicality either. Can he go from a player who’s being physically dominated in Super rugby to physically dominating in international rugby in 1 or 2 years? That’s a big ask but he may end up being a late bloomer.
37 Go to commentsIf rugby wants to remain interesting in the AI era then it will need to work on changing the rules. AI will reduce the tactical advantage of smart game plans, will neutralize primary attacking weapons, and will move rugby from a being a game of inches to a game of millimetres. It will be about sheer athleticism and technique,about avoiding mistakes, and about referees. Many fans will find that boring. The answer is to add creative degrees of freedom to the game. The 50-22 is an example. But we can have fun inventing others, like the right to add more players for X minutes per game, or the equivalent of the 2-point conversion in American football, the ability to call a 12-player scrum, etc. Not saying these are great ideas, but making the point that the more of these alternatives you allow, the less AI will be able to lock down high-probability strategies. This is not because AI does not have the compute power, but because it has more choices and has less data, or less-specific data. That will take time and debate, but big, positive and immediate impact could be in the area of ref/TMO assistance. The technology is easily good enough today to detect forward passes, not-straight lineouts, offside at breakdown/scrum/lineout, obstruction, early/late tackles, and a lot of other things. WR should be ultra aggressive in doing this, as it will really help in an area in which the game is really struggling. In the long run there needs to be substantial creativity applied to the rules. Without that AI (along with all of the pro innovations) will turn rugby into a bash fest.
24 Go to commentsSouth Africa rarely play Ireland and France on these tours. Mostly, England, Scotland and Wales. I wonder why
2 Go to commentsIt was a let’s-see-what-you're-made-of type of a game. The Bulls do look good when the opposition allows them to, but Munster shut them down, and they could not find a way through. Jake should be very worried about their chances in the competition.
2 Go to commentsHats off to Fabian for a very impressive journey to date. Is it as ‘uniquely unlikely’ as Rugby Pass suggests, given Anton Segner’s journey at the Blues?
3 Go to comments