Pollock lives up to the hype - but is he ready for Test duty?

BBC News

14 hours ago

The morning after the night before and it is an easy 'take' to say Henry Pollock should start for the British and Irish Lions in the first Test against Australia.It was certainly an eye-catching performance from the 20-year-old Northampton Saints star in the 54-7 win over Western Force, one that captured the attention of the Australian media.The state broadcaster, ABC News, said Pollock "showcased his star potential" and "produced a series of tackle-busting runs".The headline in the Australian read: 'Lions wonder kid, playmaker put Wallabies on notice.'Pollock, making his first Lions start, looked like a kid in the candy store.With a smile on his face, he gorged on Western Force at times. His pace and lung-busting break set up a first-half try for Tomos Williams, the power matched by a sublime offload to the Welsh scrum-half.In the second half came the audacious chip over the top, chase and gather before alertly leaving the ball when he went to ground. The move resulted in a try for Joe McCarthy."I thought he was brilliant today," said Lions captain Dan Sheehan."He does his own thing. He has his own way of playing. He's probably different to a lot of the forwards."I enjoy that rugby - off the cuff, see what's in front of you and make it happen. And with his skillset and speed, he can certainly make it happen."It's just about trying to make sure that he's doing the right thing for the team all the time."He'll be continuously developing. All these big games are massive for him and massive for all of us - the experience. He'll just get better and better from here."Even his opponents heaped praise on Pollock."Henry Pollock lived up to the hype. He came into his own as they kept on the intensity and he's a hell of a ball-carrier," proclaimed Australia international Nic White.
At the start of the rugby season, Pollock had played only 30 minutes of Premiership rugby.Now he stands on the verge of a Lions Test place.Perhaps the naivety of the Lions' youngest tourist serves him well in that he plays with no fear, but that should not be mistaken for his rugby acumen and awareness on the pitch, which is second to none.So how could Lions coach Andy Farrell not pick him for the first Test in Brisbane?Pollock's consistency in performance may still be an area of concern.Many people were introduced to him while watching his dominant performance in the Champions Cup semi-final win for Saints over Leinster.However, a few weeks later in the final Bordeaux were able to exploit some weaknesses in his game and he was nowhere near as influential.Stepping up to the Lions Test arena is a different ball game to showcasing your talents against a provincial team that also came eight days after a less than convincing cameo role off the bench against the much tougher Argentina.
Then there is keeping his discipline, a potential weakness the Australians could exploit.As good as his performance was against Western Force, Pollock, who enjoys a flamboyant celebration, ignited a melee between both sets of players after Elliot Daly's first try.Force flanker Nick Champion de Crespigny took exception and, although you could argue bonus points to Pollock for eliciting that reaction, it is not just Australian cricketers who are renowned for their 'sledging'.In the biggest of arenas, should he play in the Tests, Pollock would need to keep his cool.The England international was then sin-binned for reaching over a ruck after referee Ben O'Keeffe lost patience with a succession of Lions infringements."Henry got a yellow card because of repeated infringements, which was fair enough, but you also saw his point of difference, that's for sure," Farrell said.Outwardly it appears Farrell has no issues with Pollock, but does he trust him enough not to let his youthful brashness and exuberance get the better of his discipline in the cauldron of a Test match?It is a hotly debated topic that will continue to garner headlines for the next three weeks.Either way, the lid has been lifted on the hype and no-one can stop that now.