No ‘meat pie’ for debutant Wallaby Harry Johnson-Holmes, but he’s keen on some schnitty
Summoned to South Africa while in the middle of eating a schnitzel at a Sydney pub, Wallabies prop Harry Johnson-Holmes reckons he’s due a few free feeds now.
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New Wallabies prop Harry Johnson-Holmes reckons he’s earned a few free schnitzels out of Sunday’s Test debut that was a proud surprise wrapped in an even bigger one.
It had occurred to Australian rugby’s favourite redhead that he might not even get called on from the bench even though he’d been rushed 14 hours on a flight from Sydney to bolster the team’s depleted front-row stocks.
He figured he might earn 10-15 minutes, tops, if he was lucky against the South Africans at Johannesburg’s Ellis Park.
Down went prop James Slipper after copping a head knock and suddenly “HJH” was running on unexpectedly to play the final 31 minutes.
“That was almost the most nerve-racking thing. You come all this way, with a lot of luck involved in me being on the bench, but getting on the field was a whole other thing,” Johnson-Holmes said.
There was a scrum collapse penalty given away early but some sterling work when the scrum was down to just seven men and fighting to hold ground when Taniela Tupou was in the sin bin.
Johnson-Holmes, 22, took defeat as hard as any Wallaby but there was a joyful smile on his face too that was totally deserved.
“I remember sitting on the bench and thinking I’ve probably got about 15-20 minutes before I’ve got to start actually thinking about the mental side of jumping onto the field,” he said.
“A couple of seconds later (after Slipper’s knock) I found myself out in the scrum and it went from there as a bit of a blur.”
“It was probably the best way I could’ve asked to get on the field because it (scrummaging) is something I love.”
Harry Johnson-Holmes..rushed from $8 schnitty so swiftly an emergency photo needed in match program #RSAvAUS #GoldBlooded @EmilyBenammar pic.twitter.com/u3y4G8LI2F
— Jim Tucker (@HulaBulaJim) July 20, 2019
Johnson-Holmes this week quickly became the poster boy for $8 Schnitty Night on Tuesdays at Sydney’s Lord Dudley hotel when he described being interrupted mid-meal by coach Michael Cheika’s phone call ushering him to South Africa.
“I’m hoping to get a few free schnitzels out of it. I’m hoping they rename it Harry Johnson-Holmes’ Tuesday night schnitzels and I reckon it should be $8 every night,” Johnson-Holmes said with a laugh.
“It’s going to make the Lord Dudley hotel a pretty special place for me and it’s going to make Tuesday night schnitzels an even more special occasion.
“It was such a bizarre story but some of the sweetest life stories always come from bizarre beginnings.”
Johnson-Holmes delivered a full-throated anthem before kick-off and teammates Kurtley Beale and Jack Dempsey, beside him, gave the rookie a reassuring pat.
“I went deep, not too baritone, didn’t tap into the falsetto at all, just kept it steady, bit of vibrato,” the former band member said.
“The anthem was incredible. To be standing in a line of blokes of such calibre, it was something I could never envision until I was really there.
“I was pretty stoked with how it went and they didn’t think I went too bad either.”
Johnson-Holmes may well be needed again at loose-head against Argentina at Suncorp Stadium on Saturday night because Slipper must pass a head injury assessment to play, Tom Robertson will be out with his ankle injury and Scott Sio is touch-and-go with his adductor muscle injury.
“The Argentinians play a pretty electric brand of footy when they throw the ball around and can sting you from anywhere,” Johnson-Holmes said.
“There’s a lot of belief within our team and the intent was there the whole 80 minutes (against South Africa).
“Things didn’t go our way. When we did hold good momentum and strung good phases together we created great opportunities and I think it shows a lot of promise for our group.”
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