Tom Harrison has been explaining how he finds himself England’s new scrum coach for the best part of half an hour. How he has struggled with dyslexia all his life, how reading matchday programmes during a childhood watching Steve Borthwick – now his boss – turning out for Bath fuelled his love for the sport and how, in his early 30s, he has earned a place on England’s staff. Then he is asked about a formative spell in France and his eyes light up.
Like most enthusiastic scrum coaches, Harrison feels the need to get out of his seat to give a demonstration. He is recalling how, during a playing stint with Auch – a farming town an hour south of Toulouse and a club that lists Antoine Dupont, Anthony Jelonch and Gregory Alldritt among its recent alumni – he was given true insight into a French passion.
