HERE WE GO AGAIN
Harris in another waiting game like Japan as he prepares for Paris test
WAITING patiently to find out whether or not a game will go ahead, there are a few Scotland players who must feel like they have seen this movie before. And more than once.
Indeed, any member of the squad who was involved in the ill-fated trip to Wales last March must feel a slight sense of déjà vu.
That game was ultimately called off at the 11th hour, with Scotland — and many legions of supporters — having already travelled down to Cardiff.
It can only be hoped that the meeting with France in Paris this weekend does not suffer a similar fate.
Chris Harris is one such player. Casting his mind back to the World Cup in 2019, Harris started the final pool-stage clash for the Scots when they lost to hosts Japan.
That was also a match which was clouded by a fog of uncertainty. Only on the morning of the game, just a few hours before kick-off, was it finally decided that it should go ahead.
Plainly, if a game can go ahead in the immediate aftermath of a typhoon, well, anything’s possible. Those experiences tend to stay with you, even if unwittingly.
‘Honestly, I hadn’t even thought about that,’ said Harris, who has made the No 13 jersey for Scotland his own personal property since the World Cup. ‘Maybe I can use that experience.
‘It’s a weird one. There’s not been any doubt in my mind this game against France is going ahead. That might just be me, I don’t know. But that’s just been my focus.
‘I’m not thinking about anything else other than going over to France and playing rugby. I’m not worried about it not going ahead. If you have that mindset, then you won’t prepare properly.
‘Yeah, I suppose it was the same when we played Japan. I was still preparing and focusing on my role in the game.
‘It was bizarre because it was really torrential the day before the game. Then, on the day of the game, the sun was shining. But our focus is purely on France.’
Mercifully, there were no new Covid cases reported yesterday in the latest round of testing within the French squad.
A decision is expected today over whether the Six Nations clash with Scotland at the Stade de France can go ahead on Sunday.
Harris admits he would find it deeply frustrating if it was to be called off. The Gloucester man would almost certainly have to return to his club if the game was pushed back a week.
‘We obviously want to play it,’ he said. ‘But, ultimately, if medical staff think it’s not going to be safe, then you’ve got to trust their judgement.
‘We really want it to go ahead, as a group and a nation. We’re in a good place to go over there and really do a job. That’s our focus.
‘With the club stuff, that’s out of my control. You do as you’re told, effectively. I think the laws are in place to avoid all that awkward conversations.
‘It’s up to Gregor (Townsend and George Skivington (Gloucester head coach) to talk to each other and discuss my whereabouts.
‘I would be pretty upset if it was called off. I want to play for my country. But if it’s not safe to play, it’s not safe. If I have to go back to Gloucester and I’m not allowed to come back up... it’s out of my hands.’
With France missing 11 players due to Covid — including skipper Charles Ollivon and star scrum-half Antoine Dupont — the narrative around the match is clear.
Although perhaps not favourites, Scotland will have
their best chance in many a long year to register a first victory in Paris since 1999.
Harris played in Llanelli last october, when Scotland won in Wales for the first time in 18 years.
He also played at twickenham earlier this month, when they won at HQ for the first time since 1983.
Smashing those sort of records brings a heightened sense of confidence and belief.
Despite the defeat to Wales last time out, Harris insists the Scots remain in the hunt to win this year’s Six Nations.
‘It’s the confidence and belief you take from those results,’ said the 30-year-old. ‘You think to yourself: “We can do this”. We are full of confidence and we all believe we can win the Championship.’
Pressed on whether the Scots can really win it, Harris replied: ‘Yeah. Why not? After we beat england away, it was a case of: “We can do this”. We’ve then gone close against Wales.
‘If we can beat France, we’ve then got two home games to come. So it’s a good opportunity for us.
‘France have lost two or three key players, but they’ve got a big pool to select from and they’ve got plenty of quality as back-up.’
Harris has become one of townsend’s go-to men in the Scotland midfield and will doubtless be one of the first names on the team-sheet when the head coach picks his team. there have been times when it has felt like he’s fighting a battle trying to change people’s perceptions of him as much as anything; a big lump in defence, but not much else.
or, more specifically, the fact that he isn’t Huw Jones. But that now seems unfair. His performances over the past year have been increasingly impressive.
‘I think I’ve been involved in most — if not all games — since the World Cup,’ he said. ‘It’s been a really good run for me personally.
‘I was maybe a little bit of a slow-burner to start with, I don’t know. I was just taking that little bit of extra time to settle and grow in confidence.’