Borthwick explains Pollock 'Pom squad' role for Bok showdown
IN THE SPOTLIGHT: England head coach Steve Borthwick has revealed his reasons behind naming Henry Pollock on the bench for the Nations Championship opener against the Springboks at Ellis Park on Saturday.
Pollock, who has grabbed all the headlines leading up to the match, will come off the bench for the visitors in a calculated move by the England boss.
On Thursday, Borthwick named a pretty settled match-day squad, with veteran Jamie George captain, and Ellis Genge and Ollie Chessum serving as his deputies.
On the bench, the England coach has gone for a six-two split with the forwards alongside, Alex Mitchell, and Marcus Smith tasked with bringing freshness to the game in the second half.
Borthwick was asked whether there was any temptation to start Pollock in the back row, and he revealed his thinking behind the decision.
“Henry Pollock has been playing really well, and there’s good competition in that back row,” he told reporters at England’s base camp in Johannesburg.
“I’m looking forward to seeing him come off the bench, and Guy Pepper, Alex Mitchell, and Marcus Smith.
“There’s a real dynamism around those players and great skill sets. I think it’s the right thing to do for the team, a right blend for who to start and who to finish.”
Much of the talk surrounding Pollock has been about his off-the-ball antics, and how he gets under the skin of the opposition.
While the Boks have opted to shy away from talking him up, Borthwick admitted that his flamboyant style of play and overconfidence are areas of his game teams will try to nullify.
While he’s aware of the pressure he faces against the Boks, Borthwick expects him to cope well in the Ellis Park cauldron.
“I see the challenge, and we’ve all seen it throughout European rugby, especially when teams see what he gives to the opposition and what he gives to his team.
“They will try to nullify that. I’ve seen that over and over, yet Henry Pollock always seems to shine; he always seems to thrive.
“The smile on his face, having a personality like that, we want more people playing rugby like that, and smiling like that.
“He’s a wonderful character, and we love having him in our team.”
The England boss will be hoping his side can cause an upset and get back to winning ways after a horrendous Six Nations campaign.
His coaching record against the Boks isn’t the best either.
Borthwick has lost the previous four of his five meetings with the World champions, and says he expects his side to show up ready on Saturday.
“Instead of talking about tempo, I would rather talk about the players and wanting them to bring all their character and personality onto the pitch on Saturday.
“We know South Africa are a wonderful side. They’ve been the benchmark of World Rugby for a considerable period of time now, and that’s immense credit to them.
“Playing against the best in the world, I want our players to bring their very best version.”
