Eddie hasn’t forgotten me insists Harrison
NORTHAMPTON back rower Teimana Harrison has explained how regular pep talks from England boss Eddie Jones are firing his hopes of a Test recall.
Harrison’s star burned brightly in 2016 when he was capped five times by Jones, finishing on the winning side on each occasion. However, since featuring against Australia that November he has slipped down the Red Rose pecking order.
Northampton’s slump has not helped, but Harrison told The Rugby Paper: “It’s been frustrating but at the same time it tests your character up of behind and the throw cot, pretty and you’ll your if quickly you toys get give left out in this “The game. ambition to play international rugby still burns bright inside me and I’ve just got to get my head down and focus on playing well for Saints. If I do that it puts me in a pretty good position to get back in the England squad, which is my big aim.
Harrison, 25, added: “Eddie Jones still keeps in touch about things I need to work on and he hasn’t forgotten me, which gives me the motivation and confidence to carry on.
“He wants me to be a bit more aggressive in the clear-outs bigger hits and in put defence in some so I’m working hard on those, while my carrying is getting better and I’m putting a bit more footwork on rather than just running straight at people. “They’re not massive changes but I’m also trying to learn from the boys he’s picking like Sam Simmonds and Sam Underhill, whose tackling is terrific, and I’ll be all over the Six Nations picking up what I can to put myself in the best position.”
Northampton’s decline – they were hammered 62-14 by Saracens a fortnight ago – presents a challenge. However, Harrison said: “It’s a true test of our character and, Saracens aside, we’ve actually enjoyed turning things around a bit.
“Rugby’s a very testing game and if you don’t have the character to stick in there and work hard you’re going to get lost pretty quickly. You
can either respond to the adversity or you pack your bags and move on, so we’ve chosen to fight.
“Top six in the Premiership is still a massive goal for us and if we go out there this month and put in the kind of performances we did against Clermont and Gloucester, we’ll put ourselves in a good spot to move up the league pretty quickly.”
With New Zealander Chris Boyd joining as director of rugby next season, Harrison added: “He’ll have an eye on us so it’s important we perform. Everyone’s excited about his appointment but we’ve still got a lot to play for before he arrives.”