Steve Borthwick backs Henry Pollock to make Lions Test team

Telegraph

21-05-2025

Steve Borthwick believes Henry Pollock can continue his meteoric rise by breaking into the Test line-up on the British and Irish Lions tour of Australia.
After handing Pollock his England debut in the 68-14 thrashing of Wales at the end of the Six Nations, Borthwick may have anticipated fielding the 20-year-old in Argentina and USA this summer.
Andy Farrell, however, has disrupted those plans. Pollock has burst into the Lions squad on the back of electric form for Northampton Saints, helping his club into the Investec Champions Cup final against Union Bordeaux-Bègles on Saturday in Cardiff.
A spot against the Wallabies would represent another leap, yet Borthwick is confident that Pollock will relish the distinctive environment.
'What has struck us is that each and every level [Pollock] steps up to, he really embraces that challenge,' Borthwick said.
'I sense he's somebody who just jumps all-in and doesn't contemplate it too much. He simply jumps into it and embraces the contest. And I expect him to do the same again this summer.
'When you look at how quickly he's grown from starting at the Six Nations in our training camp, then playing a couple of games with the Under-20s, to then joining our training camp again and then playing at the end of the Six Nations.
'The form he's played in Northampton since the end of that and in some of the biggest games, he's performed brilliantly. He's clearly an incredibly talented player who just loves the challenge.'
The Test series begins on July 19 in Brisbane and Borthwick suggested that inexperience would not be a barrier to Pollock's involvement.
'I think nobody would bet against that,' he said of the youngster's Test prospects.
'There's fierce competition there. Ben Earl's another player who's played really well for England for two or three years now, played almost every minute of England's games for two or three years. He's been exceptional.
'I think the depth of the player talent there is what makes it such an exciting squad and an exciting series. But I think nobody would bet against [Pollock playing].'
Lions tour 'phenomenal' World Cup primer
Having travelled to New Zealand in 2017 as one of Warren Gatland's assistant coaches, Borthwick is fond of the 'traditional' and 'immersive' nature of Lions tours. This summer, he hopes the trip will enhance his England set-up in several ways.
Firstly, there are the benefits of sending a strong contingent to Australia, which will be spearheaded by assistant coach Richard Wigglesworth and captain Maro Itoje. At the same time, England's own summer schedule will demand that they build depth and lean upon greener players.
'I look at the benefits of the players and the management team we have represented on this Lions tour,' Borthwick said. 'Operating with the best players in four countries, I think that you get the opportunity to learn and observe how other people operate. Going down to Australia where the World Cup will be in two years, from a management team perspective as well as the players, is phenomenal.
'Australia will be the first team we play in the autumn series in 2025 back at Allianz Stadium. I think that's also an important consideration. I see huge opportunity and huge advantages to the representation England have on this tour.
'I think the other aspect to look at is the quality of players we have here who are not on that Lions tour but are experienced players. Fin Baxter has been in every England 23 for pretty much the last year. Bevan Rodd has been in plenty of games, he started at loose-head prop in England's bronze-medal game in the last World Cup.
Opoku-Fordjour part of long-term plan
'You see Jamie George, Theo Dan, you've got Joe Heyes, Asher Opoku-Fordjour, Afo Fasogbon. Just to look at the front-rowers, these are really good players who are fighting for an opportunity in the England team. So I see that as being an important step for us coming into the autumn.'
Opoku-Fordjour will continue to cover loosehead and tighthead prop for England as part of a 'long-term plan' that could be 'terrific' for World Cups. The prodigious front-rower, an England U20 team-mate of Pollock last season, has impressed at tighthead for Sale Sharks yet switched to loosehead for the England A international against Australia last November.
Fourteen members of Borthwick's 33-man training squad are uncapped and the head coach pinpointed the selection of Emeka Ilione, even with back-rowers such as Guy Pepper and Sam Underhill likely to return when those from Bath and Northampton Saints are reintegrated, as further indication of how valuable breakdown disruption has become.
'With Emeka, I've been impressed by what he's done coming on to the pitch for Leicester Tigers,' Borthwick added. 'I think he's grown enormously. His carrying has been very good, but in particular, his contest at the breakdown [has been impressive] – his jackalling skills.
'If you look at what emerged for England over the past period of time, in the Six Nations especially, it was the strength of the team from a jackalling perspective. If you look at the back rows I've selected, you can see that in some respects Test rugby is different to Premiership rugby around the contact area and the level of contest and that's what really stood out for me [with Ilione].'
Jack Kenningham, outstanding for England A against Ireland in February, is another scavenger who will compete for game-time in a squad loaded with impressive back-rowers. Other positions, though, are not as well resourced.
Second-row and fly-half bolters have to step up in Argentina
Borthwick acknowledged that the absences of Itoje, Ollie Chessum and George Martin – the first two bound for Lions involvement with the latter injured – will require locks to step up. Joe Batley, Arthur Clark and Richard Capstick are three uncapped second rows to have attended Pennyhill Park this week, while Chandler Cunningham-South and Ted Hill remain auxiliary options in the engine room. Alex Coles is among Northampton's most influential individuals.
A shortage of front-line fly-halves has been exposed, too, by Lions call-ups for Fin and Marcus Smith. Beneath George Ford, primed for a pivotal role with England this summer, Charlie Atkinson of Gloucester and Ciaran Donoghue of Bath are in the frame. Donoghue has enjoyed an assured breakthrough season, flitting between full-back and fly-half.
'We've got three brilliant fly-halves in Fin, Marcus and George,' Borthwick said. 'Two of them have been selected for the Lions tour, so we're clearly looking at who will be the next ones. Charlie Atkinson has been in a number of squads and training programmes and Ciaran Donoghue is another of those players.
'I've spoken before about the importance in international rugby of players with that positional flexibility. [Donoghue] has got exceptional pace. He's a player I've spoken to Lee Blackett about a number of times. Lee has coached him at Bath and Lee is going to be part of the England touring party this summer.'
The Lions may need to draft in supplementary players for their match against Argentina on June 20 in Dublin, but Borthwick insisted that it was too early for any discussions with Andy Farrell over standby lists given the domestic and European fixtures to come.
Borthwick did praise Ford, George and Henry Slade for putting aside any Lions disappointment to act as 'role models' on Tuesday at Pennyhill Park. Argentina are currently fifth in the World Rugby rankings, a shade above England in sixth. This exemplifies the challenge – and the opportunity – of what could be a seminal summer for Borthwick's players, whether representing the Lions in Australia or England in Argentina.
'In the last 12 months, they've beaten South Africa, Australia and New Zealand and now they're playing at home against this English team,' Borthwick said of the Pumas. 'It's going to be a different challenge for them, because they can't use the underdog tag.'