2020 AUTUMN NATIONS CUP PREVIEW | DODDIE WEIR CUP REVIEW The ISSUE #2 SCOTTISH RUGBY’S NEW DIGITAL MAGAZINE AUTUMN HAS ARRIVED TEASER EDITION EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWS | JONNY GRAY | CHRIS HARRIS | JOHN DALZIEL | JIM DAWSON | TYRONE HOLMES #AsOne The list of contents in the full Issue #2 of “The Front Row” are listed below. If you like what you see in this sample and want to see the full edition, please SIGN UP FOR SCOTLAND and buy a NEVIS or a MACDUI membership now. Jonny Gray 5 After a recent club double with Exeter Chiefs, the Scotland star is ready for the Autumn Nations Cup Tyrone Holmes 11 The Scotland Women Assistant Coach reflects on lockdown learnings Scotland Women 16 France performance provides much hope for the season ahead Chris Harris 25 The Scotland centre talks through his journey to international recognition John Dalziel 35 Editor After joining the Scotland set-up in August, the Forwards Stuart MacLennan Coach discusses his new role Design Pitch Perfect 39 Gemma Law Graphics We chat with Scottish Rugby’s Head Groundsman Laura Chessar, Rory MacColl Jim Dawson Commercial Mhairi McComish Emma Rogers, Anna MacLeod Photography SNS Group CONTENTS SCOTTISH RUGBY BT Murrayfield, Edinburgh EH12 5PJ 0131 346 5000 | scottishrugby.org | @scotlandteam THE FRONT ROW AUTUMN NATIONS CUP 2020 3 CHRIS A SPECIAL CONTINUES CAREER CURVE Having reached the 20-cap mark for Scotland, it’s fair to say that Chris Harris is an important part of Gregor Townsend’s Scotland squad, three years on from making his debut against Samoa in an explosive November Test at BT Murrayfield in a game that finished 44-38 to the hosts and one that contained no fewer than 11 tries. In the time since, the Gloucester centre has It’s been quite a journey for the former featured in an incredible Calcutta Cup draw Newcastle Falcons man, who hadn’t and featured at his first Rugby World Cup, in reckoned on playing international rugby Japan in 2019. until relatively late in his development. His life as an international player coincides “I went to Northumbria University, playing with some pretty handy stats, too. Harris for Tynedale in the final two years of that has only been on the losing side six times degree and had a few run-outs for the in those 20 games, being part of winning Falcons Academy. I injured my shoulder and efforts in his last four caps, against Italy, was out for the best part of a season, then France, Wales (all in the 2020 Guinness Six went on loan to Rotherham and that year I Nations) and Georgia in an autumnal warm- made my debut for Falcons first team in the up match. European Challenge Cup [in 2014]. Celebrating the Auld Alliance AVAILABLE NOW AT SHOP.SCOTTISHRUGBY.ORG trophy success earlier in 2020 with Magnus Bradbury and Blair Kinghorn OR AT THE OFFICIAL SCOTTISH RUGBY STORE, BT MURRAYFIELD STADIUM 0131 346 5044 OR AT THE OFFICIAL SCOTTISH RUGBY STORE, 44 QUEEN STREET GLASGOW - G1 3DX “I was playing between Falcons and Rotherham for a while, coming in for some European games and then just after Christmas in 2014, I replaced Alesana Tuilagi early in a Premiership game against Saracens. I ended up having a concussion so went off for an HIA, passed that, came back on and scored two late tries, so as far as debuts go it was pretty good – even though we actually drew the game! “That led to some more game time but it was a slow burner, and then the season after I got much more involved.” That whirlwind to the top table of English club rugby game was certainly not something Harris had anticipated when he embarked on life as a student back when In action in the recent international he was a teenager, as he explained: “Rugby win over Georgia at BT Murrayfield honestly wasn’t on the cards. I went to uni when I was 18 and I wasn’t in any academies “So when I finished uni it was straight into or age-grade squads or anything like that. I Falcons academy stuff. I did Architectural played county level but that was about me Technology so after that I would have until I went to Tynedale which was National been going to be something along the One, which seemed like a big jump up lines of that, something around the built to me. environment.” With a degree to his name already, Harris knows that it’s never been more important for professional players to ensure they are UNRIVALLED thinking about life after the game, whenever I lived a uni lifestyle and that may be. He added: “I haven’t looked at my degree or what comes next but I’ll pick EXPERIENCES “wasn’t thinking about it back up when I stop playing, dip my toe a career in sport, but in some capacity, although I’d like to think I have a few more years left in rugby yet, playing for Tynedale touch wood!” GRAND REOPENING maybe made me think Harris’ ascendancy to international honours it could be a thing, was as rapid as his rise to the professional SPRING 2021 game, with Head Coach Gregor Townsend and when I was in my picking him for Scotland duty only a couple penultimate year at uni of years since making his full Falcons debut. The centre, who can also operate on the I was offered a retainer wing, explained: “I think from memory I got CAMERONHOUSE.CO.UK contract with Falcons, a call from [former Director of Rugby] Scott Johnson about my eligibility about a year which essentially got me before I got selected for the 2017 Autumn LOCH LOMOND | WEST DUNBARTONSHIRE | SCOTLAND | G83 8QZ a bit of pocket money. series. I remember I got a text from Gregor FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL 01389 310 777 OR EMAIL [email protected] THE FRONT ROW AUTUMN NATIONS CUP 2020 7 after a European game with Falcons saying “At centre, there’s a lot of competition with ‘well played, just to let you know you’re myself, Langers [James Lang], Sammy J, going to be named in the squad for the Squiggsy [Nick Grigg], Huw – we all want autumn’. to be playing but at the same time we all get on pretty well so we talk about stuff “Coming into that camp I didn’t know any of and better ourselves, which is part of what the guys really; I actually had a few run-outs makes a team better.” with Mike Blair with Falcons, which is funny given we’re both part of the Scotland set-up With 20 caps already to his name and plenty now – he was the only person I think I knew more to come, Chris Harris’ is a tale of a in my first camp in 2017. player who has really taken to every rugby challenge presented to him on his rugby Harris made his full debut against Samoa in journey so far. that chaotic game 44-38 win (a scholar of the game, he immediately knows when asked that fellow debutants that day were front- row trio Darryl Marfo, George Turner and Jamie Bhatti) and then earned a first start against Wales in the following 6 Nations. Further involvement around the 2018 Summer tour and Autumn Tests followed, before he featured consistently in a busy 2019 schedule, including that aforementioned Calcutta Cup feast at Twickenham and the World Cup later that year. On that competition, Harris recalled:“The whole build-up to the World Cup, being selected in the initial squad and then gain selection for the final 31. I was over the moon with that, absolutely buzzing, and then to play in all four games was an amazing experience. It was obviously gutting the way we went out but that aside, it was an incredible 2019 summer journey.” If 2020 represents something of a shift in sporting events, the return of international rugby has been something of a saving grace for players and fans the world over at such a difficult time. Harris has featured against Georgia and Wales since the sport resumed in earnest in October and says the mood around the Scotland camp is ebullient, saying: “There’s a real buzz despite circumstances through coronavirus. But when it comes to training and selection, everyone wants to be involved over a really competitive Trying to escape the clutches of Wales’ Liam Williams in Scotland’s recent win in Wales campaign. THE FRONT ROW AUTUMN NATIONS CUP 2020 9 SCOTLAND- CAN DRAW ON FRANCE SHOWING FOR FUTURE INSPIRATION An unprecedented year for sport saw Scotland Women have to wait to attempt a finish to the 2020 Six Nations, having seen no fewer than three of their scheduled fixtures fall foul of the Coronavirus pandemic. Opening games with Ireland and England ended in defeat, although the former match reaped a losing bonus point after finishing 18-14 at Donnybrook in Dublin and the latter was played in horrendous conditions at BT Murrayfield on a weekend of nearly Specialists in unprecedented torrential weather. The halting of sporting affairs meant Scotland, under the previous tutelage of Helen Nelson was cool Constructive Solutions Phillip Doyle, still had away fixtures to under kicking pressure play in Italy and Wales, as well as a home Fosroc, a leading international manufacturer and supplier encounter with fourth-ranked France. It was the third of those scheduled fixtures, of high performance chemicals for the construction against the French, which gave Scotland industry, are proud to be supporting grass roots rugby the opportunity to get international rugby up and running again, with Bryan Easson in Scotland.