from todays Bath Chronicle

[ali c]

HARRISON IS STILL HUNGRY FOR SUCCESS

Famously labelled "The Plank" by Austin Healey in one of the ex-Welford Road motormouth's Guardian dispatches from the 2001 Lions tour of Australia, former Wallabies lock Justin Harrison comes across these days as a man more at home reading a highbrow broad-sheet than the Liverpool-born 'Leicester Lip'.Harrison boasts a degree in Applied Science from the University of Canberra and, while his on-field antics and brash, in-your-face sledging - an Australian national sporting occupation - have made him an instantly recognisable figure, Bath Rugby's newly-arrived second-rower comes across as anything but short in the grey matter department.

His rugby credentials - a Super 12 triumph with ACT Brumbies, more Super 12 rugby with the Waratahs, Australian University and Under 21 honours and 34 senior Test caps which included a run through the 2003 Rugby World Cup campaign - certainly stand up to close scrutiny.

Now 34, Harrison has swapped life in Belfast with Irish provincial side Ulster for a spell at The Rec, where he recently joined his new clubmates in pre-season training.

And the 6ft 6ins lock is making it clear he has arrived at Bath looking for anything but an easy ride and that his appetite for, and commitment to, success with Bath is undiminished.

"I could have gone home to Australia and played back there but when it became clear that Steve Borthwick was leaving Bath, I made contact with Steve Meehan and the coaching staff here to see what the possibilities were," he said.

"I want to carry on playing professional rugby as long as I can and I want to finish my playing career playing absolutely the best rugby I can possibly expose myself to.

"When the opportunity arose here, it appealed to me because my experience and skill set is reasonably similar to Steve's and in an exciting young squad like this one, there is always room for a few older heads as well."

When a deal was struck, Meehan billed signing Harrison as a coup for a Bath squad which was set to lose club and England lineout guru Borthwick to Saracens at the end of last season.

And Bath forwards coach Mark Bakewell, who already has the vastly experienced Danny Grewcock, Peter Short and another summer signing in former Leeds skipper Stuart Hooper in his second-row armoury, made it clear he expected a great deal from one of the game's most abrasive and direct on-field performers.

Harrison's three-year spell in Belfast saw him quickly become a cult figure at Ravenshill and he captained Mark McCall's side on a number of occasions, helping Ulster win the 2005-06 Celtic League title on his way to landing the Ulster Rugby Personality of the Year award.

He has now moved on to The Rec with a well-founded reputation as not just a brilliant lineout technician but also a major contributor in every other area of the game at the highest level and he clearly intends to enhance his reputation.

"The consistency of the Magners League is a little bit indifferent, but, certainly, the top half of the league is very competitive and, of course, playing in the Heineken Cup stepped up the intensity and physicality a notch or two," he continued.

"The professionalism and physicality required to do well in the Heineken Cup is widely recognised and, even though I am coming to the end of my career, I don't want it to peter out into a downward spiral.

"I want to go out for Bath and expose my self to risk and competition with the target of establishing myself as one of the top second-rowers in the Guinness Premiership and in the Heineken Cup.

"I want to keep testing myself and I've come here feeling I still have a lot that I want to achieve in the game and something to offer here in playing terms and as an intellectual property and I don't think there's a better environment to do that than here at Bath Rugby."

And he is clearly excited by the prospect of pitching himself into the pressure-cooker atmosphere of a Guinness Premiership which is now widely recognised as the world's best domestic competition.

"Watching the Premiership from the other side of the world when I was playing Super 12 in Australia, it has been undergoing a steady climb in terms of physicality at the expense of creativity and subtlety," he explained.

"But over the last five years the game here has gone the other way and over the last two seasons or so the Guinness Premiership has produced some of the most exciting rugby being played anywhere in the world.

"The intensity has lifted, the style of game being played in the Premiership is exciting to play in and, with the sheer professionalism and strength of squads on the up, the coming season's Premiership competition promises to be even more exciting and competitive.

"The Premiership has become a magnet for world-class players and now you're seeing top southern hemisphere guys coming here in their mid-20s and still with 30 Tests ahead of them.

"They're looking to play rugby in an environment where they are tested week in, week out and where they have to keep improving to stay in teams over here.

"That's a major move away from the situation where players came over here from New Zealand and Australia in their late 30s accused of looking for a big pay day to top up their superannuation funds.

"That always annoyed me because there are many more who don't come north just for the money and I count myself among them - players who are driven to keep improving, keep learning and pushing themselves to their limits while there is still a challenge out there and the mental and physical will to take it on.

"Look at Danny Grewcock, for example. He hasn't been part of the England set-up for a little while now but he is still playing top-class rugby here at Bath and, more importantly, playing the best rugby of his career as well.

"He is contributing enormously to what is happening here at Bath Rugby and, at 35, he is looking to be doing that for another two years.

"We have that appetite for top-class professional rugby and everything that goes with it in common and this move to Bath, for me, has all the ingredients necessary to keep me motivated and striving to improve.

"In Australia, once you get to 30, if the ARU doesn't think you can do a job for the national team, your provincial contract is cut and you have to look outside Australia to stay in professional rugby.

"When that happened to me in 2004 at just 28, the best years of my playing career were, arguably, still ahead of me and I wanted to carry on playing at the top level and Ulster, a team going places and hungry for input, looked perfect for me.

"I would have been happy to stay with Ulster this season, but, after some initial interest in keeping me on, nothing came to fruition so I had to look elsewhere for the challenge and that's what has brought me to Bath."

Seven years after it was delivered, mention of Healey's notorious in-print broadside still puts a smile on Harrison's face, making it clear that the big Aussie lock probably loved every minute of the episode.

But then he wasted no time making the often comically outspoken Tigers, England and Lions scrum-half eat his words or making the Lions pay for Healey's penchant for shooting from the lip.

Harrison's response on his senior international debut in the third Test against the Lions in front of 84,000 people was to pilfer an England lineout from no less a figure than inspirational captain Martin Johnson with the outcome still in the balance and the Lions on the attack, sealing a Wallabies win and a 2-1 series triumph for Australia.

He may have had to live with that infamous taunt ever since, but after having the last, and biggest, laugh at Healey's expense back then, Harrison reckons his early experiences of day-to-day life at Bath Rugby have made it clear that he is destined to enjoy his time at The Rec.

"You always come into a new squad apprehensive about how you'll fit in and with some worries about how you'll be perceived by your teammates," he continued.

"So far it's going really well, which, I suppose, means the players here really are as great a bunch of guys as the coaches said they are - or they're all very good actors.

"I consider myself lucky to be here at a strong, proud club in a wonderful city where the supporters, who have been very welcoming when I've met them on the streets, are highly knowledgeable and totally passionate.

"And I'm looking forward to being part of it all next season and the welcome I've had from the players here, despite Austin's attempt to paint me as a bit of pantomime rugby villain, has been terrific.

"Going back to Ravenshill to play against Ulster in our first pre-season friendly will be good for me in the sense that it will act as final closure on that part of my career.

"And starting the Guinness Premiership season with two big derbies against Bristol and Gloucester is a really exciting prospect.

"The significance of the old rivalries between the clubs down here in the West Country isn't lost on me by any means because I appreciate the history and the traditions which go hand in hand with the game in this part of the world.

"I'm relishing every aspect of the opportunity in front of me here, an opportunity which has rejuvenated me, and I will contribute at this club in every way I can.

"Getting a place in the team here with the second-rowers Bath can call on will be tough and keeping a place in the team will be even tougher, but that's what made the move here to Bath so irresistible."

[Cap'n Grumpy]

Can't wait to be back at RavenShill, mesel'

[cables]

Aye but it is the RavenChill you have to prepare for!

Ravenshill Woodland Reserve is only an hour and a half away from Bath by road.

[ding dong2u]

Good luck to him

[browner]

"Going back to Ravenshill to play against Ulster in our first pre-season friendly will be good for me in the sense that it will act as final closure on that part of my career.

Could have sworn final closure was about 18 months ago............still.

Ravenshill Woodland Reserve is only an hour and a half away from Bath by road.

Is that some kind of nursing home for retired rugby players Mr C?

[cables]

One of the main planks in their publicity is that they have grown big flagpoles.

[rave on]

Good luck to him

second that dd

[colinh]

Good vision by Bath the winners of the European Challenge Cup.

[colinh]

"Going back to Ravenshill to play against Ulster in our first pre-season friendly will be good for me in the sense that it will act as final closure on that part of my career.

Could have sworn final closure was about 18 months ago............still.

Is that some kind of nursing home for retired rugby players Mr C?

You could address that remark to most of the squad not just Mr Harrison. At least he was honest enough to put his hand up.

[browner]

Come on Colin....................put the pin back in.