Harry Ellis

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Harry Alistair Ellis (born 17 May 1982 in Leicester) is an English rugby union footballer who plays scrum half for Leicester Tigers and England. Ellis is perhaps not the most naturally talented scrum-half, but he more than makes up for that with mental and tireless commitment to the cause.

Ellis first played rugby union as a 6-year old with the South Leicester club. He studied at Bushloe High School and later Leicester Grammar School, where he represented Leicester Schools and the Midlands at every age level, as well as the England A, Under 16 Group and U18 Group schools sides. In fact he played for the England U18 side when he was only 16.

He spent a year with the Wigston club before he finally joined the Leicester Tigers Academy where he combined playing with further education at De Montfort University. He worked his way through the Tigers lower teams and continued his representative career, playing for both the England U19 and U21 sides. He has also featured in the England Sevens squad along with his team mate Louis Deacon.

In August 2001, he made his first team Tigers debut in the Orange Cup game in Toulouse. Harry went on to score a superb individual try that helped defeat Llanelli in the Heineken Cup semi-final at Nottingham. He was named Tigers’ Players Young Player of the Year for the 2001-2 season. In Leicester's 2002 Heineken Cup quarter final, Ellis scored the only try of the game, breaking away from a ruck and sliding over on the wet ground.

He finally established himself as a regular in the No. 9 spot during the 2003-04 season, making 19 appearances and helping Tigers come back from a poor start and a turbulent midseason to reach the Zurich Wild Card final.

Ellis as selected on England's 2004 summer tour as third choice scrum half behind Matt Dawson and Andy Gomarsall and did not play, however with he made his England debut from the bench in their 32-16 win over the Springboks in autumn 2004. He also made an appearance as a replacement in the game against Australia.

Since then he has become a regular fixture in the England side, rotating with Matt Dawson during the 2005 Six Nations. Ellis scored his debut try for England in the 2005 Calcutta cup win over Scotland. He lost out to Matt Dawson for the opening two Autumn tests in 2005 but took his chance superbly against Samoa, scoring an outstanding solo try in what was comfortably his best test match performance. This helped secured him the no 9 shirt for four games of the 2006 6 Nations.

He was left out of the Summer development tour to Australia, but was chosen again for the Elite Player England Squad for the 2006/2007 season. Ellis was not included in the 2006 Autumn internationals that saw England head coach Andy Robinson lose his job, but when Brian Ashton was appointed as his successor Ellis was named in the team to start England's 2007 Six Nations opener against Scotland. In this game Ellis came of age and it was arguably one of his best performances in an England shirt. He consistently retained his place throughout the 2007 Six Nations, starting in every game and scoring a try in the loss to Wales.

Ellis suffered knee ligament damage against Bristol on the 5th May 2007 in the Guinness Premiership semi-final play-off. Ellis played an influentual role in the Tigers' domestic double success, but the injury meant him missing out on the Premiership and Heineken Cup finals and subsequently ruled him out of the 2007 Rugby World Cup.

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[edit] External links

• England profile