HARRISON IN FOR EDDIE’S ENGLAND –
TEImANA Harrison is set to be included in England’s starting XV for the final Test against Australia here on Saturday as a replacement for the injured James Haskell.
The New Zealand- born Northampton back-rower has had no active involvement in the previous two encounters with the Wallabies on this tour, but Sportsmail understands that he will be named by Eddie Jones today at openside.
Harrison went to the same school in Rotorua as England captain Dylan Hartley and the 23-year-old has risen to prominence in recent months with a sequence of stellar displays for his club.
Jones rewarded him with a tour call-up and he made his Test debut in the one-off match against Wales at Twickenham at the end of last month. After a tentative start, he settled well and impressed the coaches with his ball- carrying and tenacity in defence and at the breakdown.
He has a hard act to follow. Haskell has been a colossal figure in the tourists’ back-toback wins and historic series triumph, but he left AAmI Park last Saturday with his left leg in a protective boot due to a foot injury.
The experienced Wasps captain has been unable to train this week, so Jones will charge novice Harrison with the task of emulating his work-rate and physicality.
The indications last night were that England’s side for the showdown at Allianz Stadium may feature one other change. Exeter wing Jack Nowell has been unable to train fully after suffering concussion in melbourne, so marland Yarde could be recalled in the back line.
meanwhile, it is thought that both Ben Te’o — the crosscode centre — and Exeter’s Henry Slade, are in contention for places on the bench.
One man whose starting place is in no doubt is maro Itoje — whose very presence seems to serve as a lucky omen. The Saracens lock has started 25 games at club and Test level this season, and has won all of them.
Along the way, he has been part of a Grand Slam, a series win here, another Aviva Premiership title and a Champions Cup triumph, while also being named European Player of the Year. Remarkably, the last time he started and finished on the losing team was when Exeter beat Saracens 24-20 at Allianz Park on may 10 last year.
The 21- year- old is being lauded as a once- in- ageneration player, but he said: ‘I’m fully aware that these things are happening not due to my own power.
‘When you go out and play rugby it’s not one man versus 15. I know without my teammates, without the coaches and back-room staff, none of this could happen.
‘I’m very fortunate to be part of two extremely well coached, motivated teams and each individual in each of those two squads always wants to get better. I’m just fortunate to be in that position.’
Jones is on alert for the threat of Itoje starting to believe his own hype, due to all the attention and acclaim he is attracting, but the player himself is confident that he can block out such peripheral noise and retain his focus.
‘I think I’m able to do that,’ he said. ‘ That kind of stuff doesn’t really bother me or distract me inn the first place.
‘ What I findd important iss what the people I care about say — my teammates, coaches, family etc. That’s what I hold myselff accountable to.’
The quarter-cen-tury of consecutive victories is a staggeringi record, but Itoje is at pains to emphasise the collective achievement, rather than dwelling on his part in it.
‘Yeah, I’m aware of it but I’m fortunate to be part of two very talented teams and the people in those teams work very hard to get into those positions,’ he said. ‘ That’s more of a reflection of the teams I’ve been involved in, rather than myself.’
What he will concede is that he has developed through exposure to major occasions at such a young age. That has been the key factor in his rapid rise into the Test arena this season. ‘I think if there is a difference, the most significant one is experience,’ he said. ‘I’ve now played in a number of big games anand had the experience of big pressure. I’m now much more relaxed in the build-up to games, I have more clarity of thought. That eases tensions going into these big occasions.’
Itoje will be relaxed this weekend, even though the stakes are sky-high once again. Jones is demanding his team finish their trip, and season, by clinching a series whitewash.