'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
Don’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
9 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
33 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
2 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
33 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
49 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
33 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
33 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
33 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
33 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
1 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to commentsObscene that SA haven’t been knocking
1 Go to commentsChances of Blackadder being injured seem too high to give him serious consideration. ABs loosie combination finally looked good with 2 committed to tackling and clearing rucks in the centre and Ardie roaming. Hoskins/Ardie together would force one of them into where they don’t excel and don’t get to use their talent, or require a change in tactics. If we continue to evolve last years systems I would take Papali’i and Finau at 6 and 7 (conceding that Blackadder will be injured) and Ardie at 8.
33 Go to commentsArdie’s preferred position 7? Where do they get these writers from? I've no idea where he's playing in Japan, but the previous two seasons he wore the 7 jersey exactly twice.
17 Go to commentsNot good to hear Ulster described as “financially troubled”. Did not think it was getting to that level. I would hope the Irish system of spreading players of talent away from Leinster would kick in now. Better to have a Leinster fringe player with Ulster or Connacht, then getting only a few games a season in Dublin. 10, for example, would seem to be a case for spreading the talent. I would not be at all adverse to a SA man coming in as head coach/DR. Ludeke is worth trying. Certainly got a long and impressive coaching career at this level…..149 games in SR, then Japan, 30 years experience. And Ulster’s ledger of successful SA coaches and players is on the positive side. Is talk of Ruan Pienaar interested in coming back as a coach…..could be a good combination with Ludeke. And Pienaar and family would have no settling in to do, one would judge. He loved life in Ulster when there, by all reports.
1 Go to comments