'I won't be trying those things': Pollard on Manie's outrageous skill set

SPOTLIGHT: Handre Pollard admits he is leaning a lot from the other flyhalves in the Bok squad, but he won’t try any of their eye-catching plays.

The 30-year-old, who will start in the No.10 jersey against Scotland at Murrayfield on Sunday, is still widely seen as South Africa’s primary playmaker.

He has also become a mentor to the younger No.10s, but imparting knowledge is also a two-way street.

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Handré Pollard brought his kicking prowess to help @Springboks beat England in their #RWC2023 semi-final clash 🇿🇦 pic.twitter.com/y9THDaFe8d

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“I think that is a very important thing in the team. It’s the trust to help each other,” said Pollard.

“Look, I am not going to try no-look cross-kicks any time soon,” he added when asked if he was learning from Manie Libbok.

“I don’t have that kind of skills.

“There will be things that I do in my game that I’ve learned over the years and I can pass it on to him [Libbok].

“I am really enjoying watching these guys like Manie, Sacha [Feinberg-Mngomezulu] and Jordan Hendrikse.

“They grew up in a different era and they play and see the game so differently and it keeps us on our toes.”

On the variety of skills that those players bring to squad make, Pollard added: “It makes it fun for us because it’s not the same thing over and over again.

“We learn a lot from each other, but like I said, I won’t be trying those things.”

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