Leeds Rhinos' Harry Newman talks England debut, 'controlled aggression' and wise words to Jack Welsby

Newman gained his first cap when England pipped Tonga 22-18 at St Helens’ TW Stadium last Sunday in the opening game of a three-match series.

It was a long time coming for the 23-year-old who has been in and around the England camp for more than three years, only for a series of setbacks to prevent him pulling on the national jersey.

Tonga’s big side led for a spell in the first half and grabbed a late try to set up a tense finale in an enthralling, bruising clash which was Newman’s first rugby for exactly a month.

“It’s the most physical game I’ve ever been involved in,” Newman said of his maiden taste of Test action. “I loved every minute of it, from start to finish - all the build up has been great and it was a fantastic day.

“After everything I’ve been through - the leg break, the hamstring injuries - and all the slate in the media, it was great to pull that jersey on and I think I did it justice.”

Newman scored six tries in 17 appearances for Leeds this year, but missed eight games midway through the campaign because of a hamstring injury. Similar problems wrecked his 2022 season and kept him out of England’s World Cup squad. He also spent almost a year on the sidelines after suffering a broken leg in the summer of 2020.

He is a player who wears his heart on his sleeve and his discipline has been questioned at times this year, including by England boss Shaun Wane, but Newman’s self-belief never wavered and he insisted he doesn’t have points to prove “other than to myself, the coaches and my family”.

He stated: “Whatever the media and people want to say about me, I’m not going to listen to it. I know what I can do and I thought [on Sunday] I put a stamp on it. I think people who aren’t close to me don’t understand it - I am passionate, the way I speak and the way I play.

“I care when I play for Leeds and that was the first time I pulled on an England jersey and it was the same. It is about channelling that aggression - Waney has said it, Rohan [Smith, the Rhinos team boss] has said it. Sometimes it can boil over, but I think [Sunday] was a lot of channelled aggression, no speaking to referees or anything. It was just a massive moment for myself.”

Newman acted as peacemaker during a skirmish in the second half involving England captain and full-back Jack Welsby and revealed: “I just said to Jack ‘you’re a miles better player than they are’.

“You only have to look at the ball he gave Tom Johnstone to put us ahead - outstanding. From one-17 everyone had a massive crack. There’s things we can improve on, we know that; a dry track at Huddersfield on Saturday will probably help that, but I can’t wait and hopefully I am in the side.”

With the ball largely staying away from England’s right edge, Newman had little opportunity to show what he can do on attack, but he defended solidly and was satisfied with his own performance.

“I thought I got my body in front of their big lads and carried the ball strong,” he reflected. “I probably could have had a couple more chances where I could have taken my opposite man on, but overall I thought I defended really well.

“It was a massive win for us and a massive step for me in my career and I am so proud after everything I have been through and everything I have overcome. To have all my family there was magnificent.”

Newman is Leeds’ only representative in the Test series. Winger Ash Handley and props Tom Holroyd and Mikolaj Oledzki were ruled out on medical grounds after being included in England’s performance squad.

The action rolls on to Newman’s hometown this weekend before concluding at his AMT Headingley Rugby Stadium stamping ground on Saturday, November 4.

The personal connections mean those are set to be two big occasions for Newman, but he stressed: “I have got to get selected first and hopefully I am in the side this week.”