ADULT CHAT LINE
Haunted by his ‘half-hour sub’, Saints skipper’s England ambitions still burn & Jones will watch him in action tomorrow ATHLETICS KIPSANG DOPING BAN
FOUR years ago Teimana Harrison was removed from an England Test match by Eddie Jones after just half an hour.
That experience in the 44-40 third Test win against Australia would have broken many men and Harrison himself admitted: “It was hard to take. I got real down about it”. Yet tomorrow at Northampton the Kiwi-born flanker captains Saints in the European Champions Cup – and Jones will be in the stands to watch.
His presence can be explained by the fact that World Cup duo Courtney Lawes and Lewis Ludlam are on the team sheet. He might also want to cast an eye over George Furbank and David Ribbans to see what all the fuss is about.
But talk to Saints attack coach Sam Vesty and another name warrants serious consideration ahead of England’s Six Nations squad announcement on Monday week.
“Tei is our absolute... how can I describe it... fantastic player, a real glue for our team,” said
Vesty. “He is out there colliding with people, giving everything he’s got with massive intensity.
“Personally I think he puts his hand up ( for selection). If Eddie is coming up I can’t think why he wouldn’t be looking at a player like Tei.”
Rewind to 2016 and Jones (above) complained that Harrison lacked consistency in his carrying and defensive game. Anyone who saw the 27-year-old’s display at home to Leinster will know that has long since been addressed. “When I came into the England team I was pretty naive, I would go out and throw the kitchen sink in the first half,” said the flanker. “I’ve matured a bit, I now try to be a bit smarter around the field and be physical for the whole game rather than just at the start.”
He claims not to use his baptism of fire with England as motivation “any more”, but does admit it scarred him for a while. “I’d never been in that situation before,” he said. “I kept thinking, ‘What could I have done better? Where did I go wrong?’” Burned by the experience he went home to New Zealand to clear his head – and the break proved invaluable.
“Time away from rugby is massive,” he said. “Even through the week you’re so immersed in rugby. Rugby is literally your life.
“You come in, seven in the morning, you’re watching footage of other teams. You’re going through your plays all day. You’re thinking constantly about rugby. The more time you can get away and switch off the better.”
Saints need victory to stay alive in Europe. Maximum points and a strong personal display would do Harrison just fine.
“I’d love to play for England again,” he said, well aware that since his debut Sam Underhill and the Curry twins have emerged as major obstacles to his selection.
“It’s every kid’s dream to play for their country. That dream will stay alive in me until the day I retire.”