Handre Pollard: 'I was terrible'
SPOTLIGHT: Springbok star Handre Pollard has too much experience to let one bad day at the office weigh on his mind.
In a tight and absorbing United Rugby Championship semifinal in Edinburgh, Pollard would’ve wanted to make things a bit more comfortable for the Bulls as they produced an impressive fightback for a 22-21 win over Glasgow.
However, his kicking boots weren’t playing ball as he only landed three of his seven kicks to goal. In total, 11 points (three penalties and one conversion) were squandered.
With a Final against Leinster in Dublin approaching, no alarm bells are ringing around Pollard, who has delivered when it mattered in World Cup play-offs for the Springboks.
“I was terrible last weekend,” Pollard admitted.
“You have those days, and you’ve got to be able to put it aside and see it for what it is.
“I would like to think I’ve had more good days than bad days in my career, so I have been there before.
“As frustrating and disappointing as it was, I know what to do. You go back to your normal routine and the system that you know works for you, and you just get back on the horse and work hard again.
“The nice thing about rugby is you get another opportunity in a week’s time, and I am excited for it.”
The Bok pivot also wanted to quell fears about the mentality side of things.
“It’s not a confidence thing. Each kick is what it is – a kick,” he added.
“I had a good look back, and it’s small little technical tweaks. It’s something I picked up afterwards, which I can fix pretty quickly. It’s nothing major.
“I will just go straight back into my normal routine that I do every single week – just trusting my process.
“It has worked for me in the past, and I am sure it will work again.”
The story continues below…
With all that experience and World Cups, Pollard is not the kind of player who will stay too long on the training field after an iffy performance.
“I am more of a rhythm guy. When you are young, you can kick for hours and hours [in training].
“As you get a bit older, you’ve got to look after your body and listen to your body, so there are certain things I want to feel when I kick, and once I’ve felt them, I feel confident and then I stop.
“How many kicks that is isn’t always the same, but I don’t kick for hours.”
@rugby365com
Relive the drama, intensity, and history — all the iconic British & Irish Lions documentaries from 2001-2021, available now on RugbyPass TV.
