Time moves fast in the world of professional rugby. Do you remember when Mike Harris booted the game-winning penalty goal for the Wallabies against Wales?
That was seven years ago this month. In case you have forgotten, here is the story.
Trailing 22-23 with the hooter already gone, Australia were awarded a penalty 30 metres out from the Wales line and five in from touch. With ice in his veins, Harris — who had only been on the pitch for a matter of minutes – stepped up and spliced the uprights with as sweet a strike as you’ll likely ever see. Series clinched. Thank you very much.
Four years on from that memorable nudge – with ten Wallabies caps and 64 Super Rugby appearances on his resume – Harris sought fresh horizons. After the 2016 Super Rugby season, he packed his suitcase and headed to France to play with Lyon in the Top 14.
Life there was busy for the former Reds and Rebels player. Top-tier French rugby teams play a full 26-round home-and-away season with European commitments stacked on top.
Harris had two successful campaigns with his club before shooting over to Tokyo about this time a year ago to join his current team, the Toshiba Brave Lupus.
Club rugby has a very unique set-up in Japan. Big corporations like Coca-Cola and Toyota own and run teams, which comprise a mixture of its employees and foreign players.
“It’s very much a company-operated game over here,” says Harris. “We train inside the gated Toshiba compound where around 4000-5000 people work. We don’t sign Japanese players on professional contracts, so the players work. They all have jobs within the company with bosses.”
With most Japanese players still working Monday to Friday you may assume that a sizeable gulf exists in the quality between the domestic and foreign players. However, Harris has seen enough of the locals to know that they should not be underestimated.
“The standard has lifted a lot here,” he insists. “They have a huge work ethic and will do something monotonously and practice and practice and practice until they get it right. Their skills are silky smooth and their understanding (of the game) is coming a long way too.”
Former Wallaby Mike Harris runs around for the Rebels in 2015. (AAP Image/Joe Castro)
Foreigners make up a small but critical part of every Japanese club. Harris is one of five at Toshiba, which is the maximum allowed. Only two of these can be fully-capped internationals, with former All Black Richard Kahui being the other one in Harris’ side.
Club play resumes this month as the nation’s best 24 teams compete in a brief five-round plus finals Japan League Cup. The next Top League season – an annual 16-team competition – has been pushed back until early 2020 due to the Rugby World Cup. Dan Carter’s Kobelco Steelers took the honours in the last campaign, which concluded back in January.
With just a maximum of seven games to be played in the upcoming League Cup, it will be a short season for Harris and his team-mates at the Brave Lupus (Latin for ‘Wolves’).
The Kiwi-born utility back was limited to just five games in the 2018/19 Top League due to a shoulder injury. After successful surgery and with a full pre-season under his belt, Harris is now primed and ready for his team’s first hit-out against the NTT Communications Shining Arcs on June 22.
Off the pitch, the 30-year-old is embracing his new lifestyle in the Land of the Rising Sun. Tokyo is the world’s most populated city with more than 38 million inhabitants in its metropolitan area. The sheer size of the city has been an eye-opener for Harris.
“It is amazing. You can’t fathom how big it is,” he exclaims. “There’s a little golfing crew at our club plus a few foreigners from Suntory and the Canon Eagles. We hire a car and drive an hour and a half out to a course, and you’re still in Tokyo. It’s just nuts!”
On a typical day, Harris rides the one-kilometre journey to the Toshiba training compound on his pushbike. For longer distances he shoehorns onto the frequently-congested trains that service this colossal city.
It was on a carriage one day that Harris experienced first-hand the pleasing culture of honesty among the Japanese citizens.
“My wife left her brand new phone on the train at Shinjuku Station, which is one of the busiest in the world,” he recalls. “We went to the end of the line the next day (50-60km away) and, sure enough, it was there with nothing taken or touched.”
Harris will not be saying sayonara to Japan until at least the conclusion of the Top League season ending in May 2020. Beyond that he is keeping his options open.
The 30-year-old would consider a return to Super Rugby one day as a veteran player and “mentor” to youngsters, but will see how his body holds up.
As for now, Harris’s majestic place-kicking, renowned competitiveness and strong leadership will undoubtedly put Toshiba in contention for success in the League Cup, as well as next year’s Top League.
In the intervening months, he could be in no better place than the Japanese capital to enjoy the pageantry and drama of the sport’s greatest tournament, the Rugby World Cup.
Go well, Mike.
Mike Harris’s resume
• 10 Wallabies caps
• 5 Toshiba caps
• 43 Lyon Olympique Universitaire (Lyon) caps
• 20 Melbourne Rebels caps
• 44 Queensland Reds caps
• 1 Super Rugby title (2011)
terrykidd
Roar Pro
Chris he was in the training squad and got injured to the extent he was ruled out of all the tests to come. Harris then chose to head overseas and not resign with the Rebels. Thus he was no longer eligible for the Wallabies.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
I agree on wallabies. We are talking Reds though.
JP
Guest
Having a good kicker in the Wallabies team is so important .Foley lost the Bledisloe for us when he missed all those easy attempts in Dunedin in 2017.Foley is a bad kicker and just a distributor ( in essence we are playing with 14 men) .We need a playmaker at 10, CLL or QC to unlock SK and TK. Bernard Foley cannot be picked because if so Cheika will expect Beale and Genia to do everything in attack.Foley is only required to kick for touch ( which he does badly ) and kick goals ( which he does badly) Reece Hodge can do both better from FB.
Chris
Guest
Oh In the training squad ay? Like so many players Cheika adds to the training squad and then you never hear from them again.Harris went overseas as he knew Cheika didn`t really want him in his best 23. It is pretty easy to see.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
Are penalty goals as prevalent and important in Super Rugby? Because one team values them extremely high it doesn’t mean others do in the same manner.
riddler
Roar Rookie
i remember at the time harris was playing and cooper was kicking. i asked on here and someone pointed me to the article. i couldn't believe it. this was also the time when mckenzie started playing the media games re the ozzie gig. to give you an example of where your logic is flawed is chris patterson of scotland, he wasn't the best 10, nor wing nor full back. but he was always in the team for his kicking. on a sidenote i never know when u reply twas. everyone else i get a notification in the top right corner. why not from you? have you got different settings to everyone else somehow?
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
The issue was not the number of games. Due to injuries he started a lot (especially at 10 around 2012 I think). It’s building around a kicker who you ideally won’t have on the field. It’s great if he’s there but blue sky scenario and nobody is injured you’re relying on a part time kicker (Cooper).
riddler
Roar Rookie
do you have the stats on him starting and not kicking twas? do you have the stats on him starting vs not starting?
terrykidd
Roar Pro
"consigned to the scrap heap"? Harris was in the training squad and got injured. He then went overseas not signed to a Super Rugby franchise, and having played only 10 tests, therefore not qualified under the Giteau rule. I can't see how Chieka consigned him to the scrap heap.
Realist
Guest
He’s Dan Carter in ‘super slow motion’. Probably why he got his kicks charged down so often and took an age to distribute to the outside backs. He would be a good fit in a team with Matt Dunning, Dean Mumm, Nic Phipps and Anthony Fainga’a
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
There was also the fact that Harris was basically second choice in 3 positions so you couldn’t actually rely on him necessarily starting. What hurt him is he got his most opportunity at 15, his weakest position. Was a really good 12. Physical enough, offered a bit at the breakdown, ran smart lines. Slow as a tug boat but always found gaps.
Harry Jones
Expert
Lyon loves him.
Waxhead
Roar Rookie
Cheika should do a lot of things Sheikh but there's bugger all chance he will. If you're not a Tah player he's not interested :)
Winnie the Pooh (Emperor of China)
Guest
Maybe an Australian industrial league of rugby union is the way forward. Crown Casion Croupiers of Sydney v. Gotham City Tarts of Melbourne.
JamesDuncan
Roar Guru
Touché, Piru.
Sheikh
Roar Rookie
His kicking was certinly good (both from the tee and out of hand). Given the erratic kicking by Foley and Cooper (sometimes good, sometimes woeful) you could well be right about him being a better option than anyone else around in SR. Maybe Cheika should look west, as the Force have some excellent options (Deegan & MacGregor both have excellent numbers this year) and we've also got Rocket Rod Davies back in scintillating form!
riddler
Roar Rookie
cheers james. mikey harris is a quality guy and a very good player. one thing glossed over in the mckenzie years is that he had harris, whose kicking was excellent, i think he had 19 in a row at one stage, move over for cooper to do the kicking from 2013. i remember reading an article at the time stating that mckenzie said cooper needed to kick if he was going to get back into wallabies.
Waxhead
Roar Rookie
@Sheikh - Harris' goal kicking and open field kicking are better than excellent imo. Far better than any other Aussie around now. His defence and hands are good. He's an all around a rock solid consistent performer who would be a great buy for any Aust province imo. ...... except the Tahs. I agree with you - Tahs would only ruin him and I'd never recommend any player go there :)
Atlas
Roar Rookie
Add the 2008 NZ under-20 to his resume From that squad, Toby Smith also went on to play for the Wallabies; Sean Maitland for Scotland; Rodney Ah You for Ireland. And a few All Blacks too - Sam Whitelock, Aaron Smith, Ryan Crotty and the now-retired Ben Afeaki (concussion)
Sheikh
Roar Rookie
Not sure I'd go as far as 'excellent player', but a very solid, dependable un-flashy player who I can't recall ever being shown up at any level he played. Every side needs those type of players, and it's to the detriment of the Wallabies that Cheika (and others) seem to want to pack the back-line with 'star'-type players. I don't think Harris would look out of place in any of the Australian teams next season (or beyond): Brumbies - centres and full-backs are good, but they might need an experienced 10 with CLL departing. Rebels - with English leaving, Harris could play alongside Meakes or Hodge in the centres. Reds - with Kerevia and Paia'aua leaving, Harris could be the 'old' head who can finally unlock CFS's potential. Waratahs - not sure I'd want to see Harris in Tahs' blue, but they might have holes everywhere in the backs with all the players potentially leaving, and an experienced head could help at 10, 12, 13 or 15. Mind you, they supposedly already have one in AAC.