Teimana Harrison Interview: Moving on from Saints, the Pro D2 challenge and the desire to stay in France
Former Northampton Saint Teimana Harrison is loving his time with Provence in Pro D2
©PA
Across the last two weekends of European action, there were a couple of things that may have piqued the interest of Northampton Saints supporters.
Of course, man-of-the-moment Henry Pollock continues to do no wrong as another eye-catching display on Saturday evening helped the Saints to a second successive Champions Cup semi-final date with Leinster.
There is a growing narrative around whether the fearless 20-year-old could be in contention for a British & Irish Lions jersey this summer but widening the European focus away from the current Northampton side, there were also some familiar faces to Saints supporters who are all plying their trade across the English Channel.
In Sunday’s gripping all-French Champions Cup quarter-final, former Northampton duo Lewis Ludlam and captain David Ribbans were left crestfallen as their Toulon side were edged out by Toulouse 21-18.
There were better fortunes for ex-Saints hooker Sam Matavesi as his Lyon side defeated Ospreys 20-18 to book their place in the last four of the Challenge Cup while a week earlier, former lock Alex Moon was in action for Bayonne against the Bulls.
The trend of Saints forwards swapping the East Midlands for France has been a recurring theme over the last few years, most notably with Courtney Lawes moving to Pro D2 side CA Brive after clinching the Premiership title with Northampton last season.
But perhaps this recent pattern began with Teimana Harrison, who has more than settled into French life since joining Pro D2 club Provence in 2022.
While he hasn’t tried escargot (snails) and has been avoiding the frog affair, the 32-year-old has become a fan of the delicate puffiness of the ‘pain au chocolat’ alongside other elements of the French culture.
“It has been a wonderful place for my son to grow up as well as for my wife,” Harrison tells TRU.
“We love the French culture. I think it was one of the best choices I’ve made in my life, in all honesty.
“The little things like the way people welcome you in the morning. When you go to breakfast or see your teammates first thing in the morning, everyone says ‘Bonjour, ça va’ for every new guy that steps into the shed. It is a warm way to start your day.
“The season schedule has also been a big factor of positive change for me. I’ve never had a Christmas off while I was in England as we trained on Christmas Eve and played on Boxing Day.
“My body feels amazing, and I think I can play a few more years, especially in a competition that is growing with guys like George North and Courtney Lawes coming here.”
North - another former Saint - plays alongside Harrison at Provence, who currently sit third in the Pro D2 standings and four points behind Lawes’ Brive side.
Provence travel to Brive this coming Friday and Harrison has already locked horns with his former teammate during a 23-20 victory back in October.
“It was strange as it was the first time I’ve played against somebody who I played alongside for a long time,” Harrison says. “It was a weird sensation. He is one of those players you have to watch out for, especially if he is defending and you run directly to him, you will get smoked. It was funny at the same time. I knew what he was capable of, and I just didn’t want to end up in one of his highlight reels!
“There was a bit of a niggle in the game, but it was all on good terms. Thankfully we only get to play against him twice a year, maybe three if we face them in the semi-finals. We got a beer after the game and had a good laugh.”
Harrison represented Northampton for 11 seasons and when he was weighing up whether to stay or depart cinch Stadium at Franklin's Gardens a few years ago, the project of Provence - which is beginning to come to fruition - was something that excited him.
“Initially, I saw myself finishing my career at the Saints and staying in the Premiership, but after COVID hit and with things getting a bit tight, the club only offered me a one-year deal,” Harrison explains.
“As a player of my age and career, I thought that I deserved a two-year deal, and that’s how Provence happened. They showed me a promising project, a map of what they expected to achieve in the next couple of years and it came across really well.
“At the same time, I had been with the Saints for the past 10 years and I wanted to change my perspectives and give myself new challenges.”
Last season, Provence finished top of Pro D2 - something they’d never achieved before - but were beaten in the semi-finals by Grenoble.
Nevertheless, Harrison - who had to wait almost a year to make his debut for Provence due to an ACL injury - is continuing to enjoy the cut and thrust of French rugby.
“I think last year we had a historical season as the club had never finished in the top six and we ended up finishing at the top of the table,” he continues. “The club played its first semi-final, and it was pretty spectacular to have a season like that.
“And on the back of it, being awarded as the Player of the Season, it was the cherry on top for me. I’ve embraced my life here in Provence, taking in the French culture. It has been a great change of pace.”
As the season reaches another exciting climax, Harrison is full of praise for Pro D2 as a competition and seems to relish playing in front of ‘an average of 8,000 to 9,000 fans’ per home game.
Harrison will be expecting another highly charged atmosphere on Friday evening when Provence go to Brive, but we end with things away from the rugby field which is making life in France so enjoyable for the back-row forward.
Looking closely at his social media, Harrison is a big motorbike enthusiast, showing videos and pictures of his adventures and rides on his Harley Davidson.
He recently drove more than 600km through the Verdon Gorge, a river canyon located in the southeast of France, and Harrison explains that these rides and experiences are vital for his mental health, advising others to find a retreat outside of rugby.
“My Dad was into motorbikes, and when I was 10, he bought me my first dirt bike and I remember cruising around with him on rides through the forest,” Harrison says.
“That passion continued when I moved to the Saints, with me and Lewis Bean buying a couple of dirt bikes and we rode pretty much every weekend. I thought it was about time that I got myself a Harley. I have become addicted to it, really!
“Rugby is such an intense game. You are always focused on the job at hand. You are always learning plays, working hard on your skills, etc. Your mind is solely focused on it so having something outside of that is refreshing, as it gives you a break from the stress and pressure.
“It is important for people to find something outside of the game. For me, motorbikes, for others, might be a second sport like padel, tennis or pétanque, or even gaming.”
And with Harrison seemingly so settled in the picturesque surroundings of Aix-en-Provence, does the former Northampton man envision himself staying in France for the foreseeable future?
“The more we stay in France, the more we get to know the culture. We want to stay here. Me and my family love the culture, weather, the people and the environment.”
