British & Irish Lions: Chris Harris ready to embrace pressure of most important match of his career
CHRIS HARRIS says he is ready to embrace the pressure of being called up to a winning team for what is undoubtedly the most important match of his career to date – and likely the biggest match he will ever play.
Despite being one of the form players during the provincial matches of this summer’s Lions tour – a surprise package in the eyes of many – Harris did not make the cut for last Friday’s first Test in Cape Town, and he admits to being taken aback when he discovered that he was to be one of the beneficiaries this week of head coach Warren Gatland’s decision to tinker with a winning formula.
Given that the Scotland centre has spent almost his entire international career proving wrong those who have doubted his capacity to step up to the next level, it is no surprise to hear that he plans to tackle the challenge head on.
“Pressure is a privilege, isn’t it? It is an opportunity for me to go out there and really show what I am about and contribute my game to the team and hope we can come away with another win,” he said.
“I didn’t really have any inkling [I would be selected],” he added. “Obviously, when a team wins you think they will go with a similar sort of team but maybe a couple of changes. We had training in the day, and it was hard to tell what the team would potentially be – so it was a surprise, a nice surprise, and I am really delighted.
“It is a big challenge for me personally and us as a team to go ahead and get two victories and get the series win in the bag.”
Harris’s selection at outside centre means that Englishman Elliot Daly drops to the bench and Welshman Liam Williams is bumped out of the match-day squad altogether.
It wasn’t as positive news for three other Scots on the tour, with scrum-half Ali Price and loose-head prop Rory Sutherland relegated to the bench to be replaced by Conor Murray and Mako Vunipola, while flanker Hamish Watson lost his place amongst the replacements to Taulupe Faletau.
Those are the only changes to the match-day 23 after last Saturday’s 22-17 win over the Springboks in round one of this three match series.
That first Test victory was secured by a rousing second half fightback from the tourists but Gatland would prefer it if his team manage to avoid the need to overcome a nine point deficit this week, with the selection of Harris and Murray in particular designed to ensure a more cautious, controlled and physical approach early on, before the likes of Daly and Price come off the bench to open the game up as the Springboks tire later on.
“We’re expecting Chris to be incredibly direct,” said the head coach. “We weren’t disappointed with Elliot’s game. His work-rate off the ball was excellent. It was just difficult for him to get into any attacking shape, and those attacking options tended to come more in the second half.
“If you look at the South Africa ‘A’ game and the first Test, the way they play is to try and build the scoreboard and try to get in front then look to hold on, so that first 20 to 30 minutes is going to be particularly important for us, and we’ve been happy with the way we finished in the second half in both those games when we’ve felt strong. So, potentially, the game might open up, which is something that we think Ali can bring in that second half.”
A very similar logic has been applied with regard to Faletau’s selection on the bench ahead of Watson. “We just thought about that No8 cover and having him in the wider channels as the game loosens up a bit,” said Gatland. “He’s had some big moments on tour in terms of his carrying and we know how dangerous he can be in that regard.
“The message is that if we are 6-all after 30 minutes, or 9-6 ahead going into half-time, then that puts us into a good place. We were 12-3 down, and it could have been 17-3 like we were in the ‘A’ game and that is a much bigger challenge to come back from. So, our focus is on starting well and making sure that our game management is really good.”
The Springboks have also made three changes to their starting XV. Jasper Wiese replaces Kwagga Smith at No8, while Steven Kitshoff and Frans Malherbe have come in as starting props. Head coach Jacques Nienaber has gone with a 7-2 split between forwards and backs on the bench, indicating that he sees the forward battle as the key to his team’s chances of success.
British & Irish Lions (v South Africa in the second Test @ Cape Town Stadium, Saturday 5pm BST): S Hogg; A Watson, C Harris, R Henshaw, D van der Merwe; D Biggar, C Murray; M Vunipola, L Cowan-Dickie, T Furlong, M Itoje, A Jones©, C Lawes, T Curry, J Conan. Substitutes: K Owens, R Sutherland, K Sinckler, T Beirne, T Faletau, A Price, O Farrell, E Daly.
South Africa: W le Roux; C Kolbe, L Am, D de Allende, M Mapimpi; H Pollard, F de Klerk; S Kitshoff, B Mbonambi, F Malherbe, E Etzebeth, F Mostert, S Kolisi©, P du Toit, J Wiese.
Replacements: M Marx, T Nyakane, V Koch, L de Jager, M van Staden, K Smith, H Jantjies, D Willemse.
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