'I wasn't aware. I knew there was something going on'
Ask Chris Harris for a reaction to fellow centre Huw Jones being ruled of the rest of Scotland’s Six Nations campaign and it’s breaking news to him.
He’d been training with Newcastle on Thursday morning ahead of Saturday’s Premiership trip to Bath and didn’t know the Scottish Rugby Union revealed in a lunchtime press release that the Glasgow midfielder had sustained knee ligament damage in the defeat to Ireland and would miss the remaining fixtures against France, Wales and England.
A try-scorer off the bench in the opening round win over Italy, Harris was deemed surplus to requirement against the Irish. Sean Maitland’s return to the starting line-up meant Blair Kinghorn, the hat-trick scorer versus the Azzurri who lost his spot, would take the No23 shirt from Harris.
However, with Jones now joining full-back Stuart Hogg in casualty ahead of Saturday week’s third round match against France and Kinghorn set to potentially step in at No15, the chances of Harris winning his eighth Test cap in Paris have hugely risen.
“I wasn’t aware (Jones was ruled out),” said Harris on Thursday afternoon. “I knew there was something going on. I knew he picked up a knock of some sorts, but I wasn’t aware of the situation. It’s not for me to think about it too much to be honest.
SQUAD UPDATE | Centre Huw Jones is expected to miss the remainder of Guinness Six Nations with a knee injury, while full-back Stuart Hogg remains in the joint care of the Glasgow Warriors & Scotland medical teams.
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— Scottish Rugby (@Scotlandteam) February 14, 2019
“There is always the opportunity there. It’s not just an opportunity for me, but for the other boys in there that are competing for that jersey. But ultimately you have got to go and perform at the weekend for your club to put you hand up and that is what I’m wanting to do. I just need need to concentrate on this weekend.”
The 28-year-old debuted off the bench in November 2017 against Samoa. He then quickly got his first start, chosen at centre alongside Jones for last year’s Six Nations opening day defeat away to Wales.
Harris admits he didn’t cope as well as he possibly could have when initially juggling international and club commitments, but he now feels he is more robust and better able to handle the pressures involved.
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“If you asked me last year I would have said I was more under pressure, but I have adapted to it now. It’s just part of the rugby career. It you’re part of international duty that is just the way it is. I have developed a lot since this time last year. I’m pretty comfortable in dealing with the situation.
“It was just the change of environment, the disappointment of not being selected for Scotland – which is still the case – but it’s just dealing with it better now.
“If you come back into the club and you’re still a bit down not being involved with Scotland, you have got to go and in a performance for Newcastle. It’s just a matter how you deal with it,” said Harris who returned to Newcastle on the Tuesday night before the Ireland match and featured in the club’s Premiership Cup defeat to Northampton on the same day as the Murrayfield Test.
With no Six Nations this weekend, how are you set for your rugby fix? Look no further than the Rec as @bathrugby take on @FalconsRugby on Saturday.
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— Bath Rugby (@BathRugby) February 13, 2019
A greater presence in attack is what Scotland coach Gregor Townsend is looking for from Harris. “Just a consistency thing. Just get my hands in the ball a bit more. Look at my attacking side of things. The defence side kind of looks after itself. Just getting my hands on the ball a bit more. That is what I did and I managed to score a try (against Italy).
“It was just running a supporting line. Josh Strauss just popped it to me. He probably could have scored himself, but he just popped it to me. It was a pretty incredible feeling to dot down.
“I just want to play as much as I can. I have played one of the two (Six Nations games) so far and if I can keep picking up appearances that would be grand.
“But I have just got to play well and be a bit more consistent. I’ll just concentrate on that and the rest will look after itself.
“I’m always looking to improve. There is always room for improvement in my game and I try to do that as much as possible. I am very happy with where I am. I think I have played well the last couple of game. I have just got to keep that consistency and keep improving.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Big difference from the Saders. Forwards really muscled up and laid a solid platform. Scooter brought some steel and I liked the loosie combination. Newell has been rather disappointing this season but stepped up big time - happy also to see Franks dot down. He should do that more often! Reihana had a good game and there seems to be more flair and invention with him in the saddle. McNicoll plays well from the back and is reliable plus inventive when he joins the line. Keep it up chaps!
3 Go to comments🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
30 Go to commentsJe suis sûr que Farrell est impatient de jouer avec Lopez et Machenaud et d’être entraîné par Collazo… 🤭
1 Go to commentsAn on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
11 Go to commentsEver so often you all post a Danny Care story that isn’t the announcement that he has finally re-signed for one more, victory tour season at Quins and I’m just like, “well you fooled me again!” My absolute favorite player ever, we need to make his final year at the Stoop (and Twickers) official already. I know he supposedly snubbed France but I won’t feel better until he signs.
1 Go to commentslate hit what late hit it wasn’t at all late and can clearly see he was committed before the tackle
1 Go to commentsChristian Lio -Willies 2 try perfomance was a standout. As was captain Scott Barrett. Up front was where the boys won it.They are a great team and players. Fantastic Crusaders , you can keep going.
3 Go to commentsI don't know how the locals feel about that? I guess if you call yourselves the Worcester Wasps that might be appease. But really we need more teams in the Premiership in my view so they are not padding it out as they are at the moment. It might curtail so many players going abroad as well
5 Go to commentsNZ 😭😭😭is certainly rivaling England for best whingers cup!😭😭😭 !!!
30 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
30 Go to commentsShould've done this years ago. Change Saturday kick off times to around 11am. Up and off and back home before 3pm, limit travel time too. Allows players to actually do something else with their Saturday that's family oriented or being rugby fans they could ‘watch’ pro rugby. Increases crowds etc. How can anyone that enjoys grassroots and pro rugby have to choose between the two on Saturdays?
9 Go to commentsI bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
30 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
9 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
30 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to comments