Scrum coach Tom Harrison cites England legend Jason Leonard as an inspiration. Photo: Getty Images/Dan Mullan
Tom Harrison may have taken the less-traveled paths to reach the pinnacle of rugby union, but those paths tend to be the most exciting. Having struggled with dyslexia and attending an unofficial scrum university in France's second division during his playing days, the New England scrum coach is more interesting than most assistant coaches.
Harrison, at 31, is young enough to attend Hartpury College at the same time as England strikers Ellis Genge and Johnny Hill. Not that youth should be confused with inexperience. Having been a manager since 2012, including six years with Leicester Tigers that culminated in Gallagher's Premier League win in 2022, Harrison is no stranger. As Lewis Ludlam, a Northampton and England flanker, said, he offers something different from the usual relationship between coaches and players.
“Having a young executive that we can connect with and connect with was really good. It's a bilateral relationship and it's very nice,” Ludlam says.
In fact, Harrison's relationship with England manager Steve Borthwick dates back a couple of decades. Harrison's father, John, was team manager first at Bath and later at Bristol. Tom spent his childhood, when he was not at Beechen Cliff School, watching Captain Borthwick Bath at The Rec. More importantly, he also spent that time reading something interesting that could help with his dyslexia; game day programs.
“I had an English teacher, Mr. Morris, and my parents were a little concerned that I only read the programs. Mr. Morris told them, «That's brilliant, you found what he put into reading.» And that fueled my love for rugby,” explains Harrison.
“[Dyslexia] is almost like running the 100 meters, but there are obstacles in your lane. In the process of growing up, I learned different ways of thinking, someone called it cognitive diversity. Sometimes they're brilliant ideas, sometimes they're terrible, but I probably think a little outside the box for different people. I see that as a problem solving tool it can be very useful.” He adds with a smile, “I'm not the biggest whiteboard fan, let's just say. And people probably can't read my notes.»
Living in Auch, Antoine Dupont's first club in the south of France, required less paperwork and more mental resilience. English-speaking teammates translated messages from the club's coaches about his grappling technique to Harrison during sessions where the deck hit the scrum machine a hundred times.
Tao Tapasu, at the time a 40-year-old castle player who tackled Harrison, may not have moved around the field very much and could hardly be found jumping in the lineout. “It didn’t matter—he liked to push the scrum, so he played,” recalls Harrison. “There was a saying in the city “no fight, no victory” — “pas de mêlée, pas de victoire”. It was all we ever talked about, all the crowd ever talked about. Drums beat at the beginning of the fight: «bang, bang, bang.» Sometimes I think they didn't care if we won or lost [the game] as long as we won the fight. It honed and instilled a love for fighting.”
Harrison left France and played for Plymouth in the Championship before his full-time coaching career took off, staying at Loughborough College before joining Leicester's academy coaching team, winning three consecutive under-18 league titles , and then in the Premier League.
Bortwick, after losing his first game as head coach against Scotland, noted that England's clash was previously rated as «the worst clash in first tier rugby», and on his The opening press conference stressed that strengthening England's foundations was essential. . Thus, Harrison's job as a grappling coach is very important.
After a disappointing Six Nations campaign, Steve Borthwick hopes his new appointments could change England's fortunes at World Cup Credit : PA/Adam Davy
Karl Heyman, Marcos Ayerza and Jason Leonard are cited by Harrison as the inspiration behind the scrum, and when asked about his approach to the set piece, he explained, «The scrum is no longer a restart of the game — it's a pressure builder. Whether you create pressure by hitting it with a fast ball so you can attack or by winning a penalty. This is an impulse swinger. If you win a loss in a fight, you will see the defenders celebrating. You have the ball, you have changed the course of the game.
“And finally, the fight is a fatigue generator. If you can keep fighting and build up lactic acid in your legs, then it will be difficult for the players to run. You have a tight forward who is out of shape on defense and players like Marcus [Smith], George [Ford] and Owen [Farrell] who can hit them. Your fight has had such an impact on the game. If you have these aspects and a strong, relentless fight, you can really control the game of rugby.
“There are times when you see reckless fights. «We're going to destroy you and that's what we're going to do» where they are then aroused. In one fight they might break it, but in the next they will miss a stupid penalty. It means to be ruthless, but at the same time smart.”
Nine England players are older than Harrison and three ended up in the front row. He gladly embraced the whole experience offered by Dan Cole, Joe Marler and Jamie George.
Undoubtedly, his time in France and overcoming dyslexia is exciting, as is Harrison's motivation, his aspiration, the reason for his rapid ascent to the pinnacle of his coaching career.
“You talk about regrets, I probably didn’t take on enough responsibility as a player myself to achieve what I could achieve,” he admits. “There is a difference between being a full-time rugby player and being a professional rugby player. Looking back, this has only just begun to benefit the coach.
“Did I reach my full potential? Probably no. One of my challenges as a professional coach right now is how do I make the most of every opportunity to be the best I can be.” A realization that came too late for Harrison's playing career but could now help England improve in a vital area of the game.
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