Bulls B team unlikely to match Northampton but cocky Pollock can be silenced
CHAMPIONS CUP
Pollock shines in Lions win Henry Pollock (right) was one of the stars as the British and Irish Lions and might just picture himself facing the mighty Springboks against the Bulls tomorrow.
Image: AFP
An under-strength Bulls team will be hard-pressed to beat Northampton on Sunday evening at Franklin Gardens, but the brash Henry Pollock being put in his place would be a comforting second prize.
The precocious Pollock, with his peroxide blond hair, is the figurehead of the England arrogance stemming from their winning streak in 2025. That culminated in the English saying it was a pity that they had not played the Springboks in November, with the inference that they would have beaten them.
You would forgive Johan Ackermann — the antithesis of showman Pollock when he played for the Springboks — for having a quiet word with Elrigh Louw and Marcell Coetzee about enticing Pollock down a blind alley at a busy ruck where the referee might be unsighted…
Jokes — and temptation — aside, Pollock is a unique talent, and one that Ackermann knows well.
“Pollock caught the eye already in the U20 World Cup last year,” Ackermann said. “I watched quite a few of the U20 games live when I was still (coaching) in Japan because it was in Australia. I knew I was going to be getting involved with the SA U20s (as an assistant coach).
“Pollock is an outstanding prospect. He is confident, and he brings a lot of energy to any team he is involved in — even with England, we have seen him make a big impact. He did the same with the British and Irish Lions in Australia.”
At 20 years of age, Pollock is the youngest player to be picked for a Lions tour.
“It is incredible that a player of his age has that maturity,” Ackermann said. “When he gets the opportunity, he takes it fully. It would be a different thing if he were all show and no play, but he can do both.
“He gets under the skin of the opposition with his overconfidence, but the reality is that he backs it up when he plays.”
Ackermann says Pollock blends attitude with technical efficiency.
“He has very good qualities for a guy that is not that big (for a loose forward), he carries well and is an out-and-out fetcher over the ball,” Ackermann explained. “He looks for those opportunities, and he has that ability to read the game. If you watched the Champions Cup final last year against Bordeaux, he pitched up at the right places and times to score tries.
“To think he is only 20 — he could have played against us at this year’s U20 tournament, but instead went on the Lions tour. If you add another three or four years of physical maturity and growth, plus experience, he can be a great player for England going forward.”
Northampton are coming off an excellent away win against the French team Pau and will be at full strength against the Bulls. Watch out for their giant lock, JJ van der Mescht. The former SA U20 and Sharks lock weighs 145kg and is over 2m tall, and is enjoying a growing reputation in the English Premiership because of his wrecking–ball carries.
“They have a strong team, and they have all of their international players back,” Ackermann acknowledged. “They have a rich history in Europe. When I was coaching at Gloucester, they were always competitive, and they have beaten the Bulls at Loftus and also in England.”
Interestingly, there is also the significant fact that older Northampton fans will recall none other than Ackermann playing for their team (2001-2002).
“I was fortunate to play for the Saints, and they have a very passionate supporters’ base — they will sing and generate a great atmosphere,” Ackermann smiled. “It is a tough place to visit, but we put a lot of work during the week to recover from the travel and the disappointment we had last week.”
Northampton: 15 George Furbank (captain), 14 Ollie Sleightholme, 13 Rory Hutchinson, 12 Fraser Dingwall, 11 George Hendy, 10 Fin Smith, 9 Alex Mitchell, 8 Henry Pollock, 7 Tom Pearson, 6 Josh Kemeny, 5 JJ van der Mescht, 4 Alex Coles, 3 Trevor Davison, 2 Craig Wright, 1 Danilo Fischetti
Replacements: 16 Robbie Smith, 17 Emmanuel Iyogun, 18 Cleopas Kundiona, 19 Chunya Munga, 20 Ed Prowse, 21 Sam Graham, 22 Tom James, 23 Toby Thame
Bulls: 15 Devon Williams, 14 Sergeal Petersen, 13 Stedman Gans, 12 Harold Vorster, 11 Stravino Jacobs, 10 Kade Wolhuter, 9 Zak Burger, 8 Elrigh Louw, 7 Reinhardt Ludwig, 6 Marcell Coetzee (captain), 5 JF van Heerden, 4 Cobus Wiese, 3 Mornay Smith, 2 Akker van der Merwe, 1 Alulutho Tshakweni
Replacements: 16 Juann Else, 17 Sti Sithole, 18 Khutha Mchunu, 19 Mpilo Gumede, 20 Nizaam Carr, 21 Embrose Papier, 22 Keagan Johannes, 23 Phillip-Albert van Niekerk