My Life in Rugby: Harry Ellis – former Leicester and England scrum-half

I couldn’t bring myself to watch any of the 2007 Rugby World Cup, not even England in the final – being at home injured during that competition was probably the lowest point of my career.
I’m very proud to support my country but it was very hard for me – I was out injured and here was this team I used to be part of making it to the biggest game in rugby.
I felt I should’ve been out there, certainly my form in 2006/07 was better than it ever had been before that. I was part of a great Leicester team and we made it to three finals that season, but it came crashing for me in the Premiership semi-final against Bristol when I ruptured my ACL – sidelining me for ten months.
It was a horrible time but the club were magnificent – they supported me through my rehabilitation and that only heightened my desire to have a successful comeback.
 
Leicester has always felt like home for me, it’s the only team I ever wanted to play for. I was a local lad and my dad, Bob, had a stint with the club in the Sixties and always took us to games so I felt like I grew up at Welford Road before I was even part of the set-up.
I never thought rugby would be my profession until I was spotted by Dusty Hare in 1998 while playing for South Leicester, who I’d been with since I was six.
I came into the academy alongside guys like Louis and Brett Deacon, Sam Vesty, Ollie Smith and Jim Hamilton just to name a few – it was a very gifted group.
In my first seasons I was trying to break into probably one of the best ever teams in club rugby.
My Premiership debut was in 2001 at Newcastle. My opposite number was Scotland‘s Gary Armstrong, which was a really good challenge for a young man.
I was on the bench for two Heineken Cup finals and won two Premiership medals before I had established myself as a regular starter. I’d been up against Jamie Hamilton and Austin Healey, someone I’d grown up idolising, for a starting place but by the time I was established in 2003/04 I’d never really felt like giving up my place.
 
My England debut against South Africa in 2004 was one of the proudest days of my life. It was an exciting time for the national team, the old guard had moved on and there were big shoes to fill for younger talent coming through.
By 2006/07 I was in good form, I felt established and I was playing regularly for England – I’d played in quite a few Six Nations Tests by then and I had the World Cup in my sights.
Missing out hurt me a great deal but getting back into contention for England in 2009 is something I’m very proud of. My form in the Six Nations that year earned me a call-up for the Lions. I played all the midweek games but for the Tests I was stuck behind Mike Phillips.
He was playing so well – I was tempted to give him some money so he’d fake an injury and let me play!
Eventually I got on the field for the final Test against South Africa and it was a brilliant experience – we beat them out there and it was amazing to be part of it with a great group of players and in a great country.
As it turned out, that was my last game internationally – I was told to retire by an orthopaedic surgeon in London not long after that because my knee went again.