RUGBY: Harry has bright future with Town
Harry Harrison goes over for Spalding at Peterborough. (Photo: Adrian Smith)
Bright spots have been few and far between for Spalding RFC 1st team this season.
But one of the plusses has been the emergence of talented Harry Harrison.
At 17, he’s proving unfazed at being pitched into a senior squad playing at a good standard of rugby.
Town coaches Ben Hausermann and Niall Thomson are picking The Deepings School student on merit – and a return of six tries from seven matches is justifying their faith.
Thomson said at the outset of the season that fans might have to be a little patient while youngsters are bedding in. Apparently, he need not have worried about Harrison.
The teenager said: “I’m really enjoying it.
“I came into pre-season targeting the first team, but I didn’t think I’d get into it. Everyone has been so welcoming.
“The coaches have been fantastic to work with and my game has improved as a result.”
Harrison has been with the Memorial Field club since Under-14 level when he tried out rugby after previously only having eyes for football.
He progressed through to the Under-17s when coaches started to see that he could hold his own in the senior game.
Town chairman Geof Nichols said: “Harry is one of the youngsters who has come through our ranks.
“On the field he has the advantage of being quick, he’s got the ability to sidestep well and he can also tackle.
“He’s turning into a good player.”
The pacy teenager started the season on the wing with some degree of success, but a recent switch to centre is paying further dividends.
Harrison said: “It’s a new role for me and is working a lot better, the reason being it’s giving me a bit more manoeuvrability to come inside instead of being restricted to staying on the wing.”
Of his six tries this season, four came in last month’s first league win of the season, at home to Kettering. But his favourite touchdown came in the narrow defeat at Peterborough a fortnight ago.
He said: “The team effort leading up to it was great and the move had started at the halfway line. We’d got a good platform from the ruck, there were good hands through the line and I was just pleased to be able to finish it off.”
He added: “I just want to keep working hard, focusing on my fitness and trying to improve.”
After last weekend’s second league win of the season – 21-8 over Market Bosworth – the squad looks like being without a fixture on Saturday.
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Weather for Spalding
Friday 24 May 2013
Today
Light showers
Temperature: 5 C to 10 C
Wind Speed: 35 mph
Wind direction: North east
Tomorrow
Sunny spells
Temperature: 5 C to 14 C
Wind Speed: 20 mph
Wind direction: North
