Harrison’s holiday job is now his life’s work
WHEN Teimana Harrison arrived in England, he thought it would be part of an extended European holiday in which he played a few games of rugby before returning to New Zealand to make a career in the game.
That was nearly ten years ago. The 29-year-old back rower now calls England his home and would like to finish his playing days at Franklin’s Gardens as he closes on 200 appearances for the club.
“I went to Rotorua High School,” said Harrison. “Dylan Hartley had been educated there a few years before and we shared a number of the teachers and the first XV coach. It was through him that I was introduced to Northampton and over I came.
“My father was born in Derby and I had a British passport, which was a massive factor in my coming over. I thought it would be a holiday, travelling around Europe and playing a few games of rugby. I guess I was a bit naive because it was full on straight away, but I thrived on it from the start.
“It has been a lot of fun and this is my home now. There is the possibility of ending my career here. I love this club and cannot see myself playing anywhere else. You never know, but my focus is on helping get us back to the top.”
It is seven years since Northampton last appeared in the Premiership final, but they made a strong start to the season before conceding 55 points at home to leaders Leicester last weekend, a defeat that merited a two-day debrief last week.
“There was a period in the second half when we thought we could get our way back into the game, but we made it hard for ourselves by making mistakes,” said Harrison. “I was not surprised by Leicester because they have been building for a while and are getting back to where they should be, but it was frustrating because we are better than we showed.
“We set our sights on finishing in the top four, but we are not happy at being fourth. We want to fight for the top spot and are aiming higher. I arrived here as an academy player and am now one of the leaders. It is my job to make sure we continue to develop as a side.”
As the tenacious Harrison nears a decade with the Saints, he reflects on how the Premiership has changed in that time, both in terms of the standard of rugby and how it now has far greater depth.
“It is crazy to think how different it is,” he said. “When I look back on my first few years here, there were always a couple of teams you could target and use and put out a weaker side. Worcester and London Irish spring to mind, but as they have both shown in recent weeks they can beat the best and, in my view, Irish have a good enough squad to challenge for a place in the top four.
“Players are bigger now but the game is not as forward dominated as it was when I arrived from New Zealand. The scrum and maul remain important and a massive part of what you do, but there is more of a southern hemisphere feel to it with a number of clubs willing to throw the ball around.
“It does not mean the English club game has abandoned its DNA, merely that it is evolving. An exciting style of play gets people talking, although it does not feel any better when you end up on the losing side.”
Harrison, who can play across the back row, has won five England caps. They all came in 2016, starting with a friendly against Wales at Twickenham and ending against Australia off the bench the following December.
“As long as I am in England, playing international rugby again has to be a goal, but I have pushed it to the back of my mind,” he said. “Just look at the competition and how young they are. I back myself but all I am concentrating on is playing well.”