Harris targets RBS Six Nations title
Wales star Iestyn Harris has rubbished rumours that he is returning to league, saying he has an RBS Six Nations title to win instead. The former Great Britain star converted to rugby union in the summer of 2001 and has spent virtually every month since denying rumours that he’s heading back north.
“The last batch of headlines have come from one journalist who ran a story with some facts that probably weren’t true and everyone else has run with it,” a frustrated Harris told the Daily Star. “Sometimes people add two and two together and get five. It’s frustrating, but you just get on with it. I don’t think the readers take much notice of it anyway.
“There’s nothing you can do about it, so I just ignore it and get on with it. Everyone takes these stories with a pinch of salt these days, anyway, I’m used to it and put it behind me.”
Harris, who is struggling with a back muscle injury, says he has enough on his mind with the RBS Six Nations just two weeks away to start worrying about the rugby league rumours.
“I just want to get in the Wales side for the whole RBS Six Nations. After that, I’ve got a season for the Blues to finish, then it’s the summer and we’ll go from there,” Harris added. “The back should be right by the Scotland match.”
Harris says all the signs are there for Wales to enjoy a successful Championship.
“We’d like to win the RBS Six Nations, and it’s the burning desire of everyone in the squad to win it, but we finished bottom last year and we’re concerned firstly with improving on that,” he continued. “It’s small steps rather than big steps at the moment. Over the next three years, the majority of the squad will stay together. That’s what you’ve got with England.
“They’ve had a lot of players who have spent a long time together and they’re coming to the end of their reign. Hopefully, we’re coming into one and some success will come our way.”
Harris said the added pressure of a Welsh public demanding victories after their team’s good showing at the Rugby World Cup wasn’t a problem.
“You’re going to have expectancy when you start to do well,” he commented. “We did well at the Rugby World Cup and earned the respect of some other nations, so now we have to live up to it. I’m looking forward to the challenge.
“We’ve grown as a group in the past eighteen months and we’re ready to move up a gear. Scotland is a key game for us, we need a great start to kick on from there.”
