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Henry Pollock threatened with immediate Lions fine as cameras capture panic in camp
Henry Pollock threatened with immediate Lions fine as cameras capture panic in camp
The 20-year-old was quick to point the finger of blame at one of his team-mates
Pollock was left baffled as he told his team-mates what had happened
(Image: British Lions/YouTube )
British & Irish Lions star Henry Pollock risked being issued with a fine in his first week of training despite being given a stern warning by captain Maro Itoje.
The 20-year-old England international is the youngest player to be named in Andy Farrell's squad for this summer's tour of Australia and, as is tradition with the Lions, was handed ownership duties of the tour mascot - a toy lion called BiL - during their warm-weather camp in Portugal last week.
Pollock was handed the stuffed animal by Itoje - who himself looked after BiL during the 2017 tour to New Zealand - and the skipper had some stern advice to issue to his international team-mate, warning him what would happen if he were to lose his new companion.
"Henry, you have to have this on you at all times," said Itoje. "You have to take it to every training session. When we're in camp at the hotel, it has to be by your side.
"Every time BiL goes wandering or missing, it's going to be a fine yet to be determined by the fines committee. The only time you're not allowed to have it with you is when you're on social.
"But apart from that, this is basically your new girlfriend."
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However, while the rules had been made clear to Pollock, the one-cap England back rower did not heed his captain's advice as he brought BiL along to training and placed it down next to a cameraman before joining in with the session. Sign up to Inside Welsh rugby on Substack to get exclusive news stories and insight from behind the scenes in Welsh rugby.
As is shown in the newly released first episode of the Lions' YouTube series The Ultimate Test, while Pollock was busy training, Ireland star Bundee Aki then decided to pull a prank on the Englishman and hid BiL behind a pile of mats and gym equipment.
A baffled Pollock is then seen walking back over to where he left the lion, alongside Wales scrum-half Tomos Williams.
The Welshman is heard asking him: "You've lost it?" to which Pollock says "I don't know, I was running and I went back and it wasn't there."
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As Pollock began to panic, the cameras cut to him explaining what had happened to a group of his team-mates.
"I was training, I left it somewhere," he said, with his England team-mate Alex Mitchell replying: "You're meant to know!"
Pollock continued: "I'm training, I come back and it's not there," before he quickly turned his attention to Aki, pointing at the Irish centre and saying "you".
Aki, who clearly has a reputation in camp as a bit of a prankster, pretended to be shocked and offended by Pollock laying the blame at his door, as he replied: "Woah, that's a big accusation!"
Fortunately for Pollock, he was soon able to locate BIL and was later seen carrying the lion around with him during his gym session, having seemingly avoided being hit with a fine.
The English sensation is the latest in a long line of players to be handed the mascot to look after during a Lions tour, with former Wales wing Louis Rees-Zammit holding that honour during the 2021 tour of South Africa.
Before him, it was Itoje, while Scotland's Stuart Hogg admitted to struggling with the role on the 2013 tour of Australia, with BiL's long mane triggering his allergies and causing his eyes to "puff up".
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BiL was introduced after his predecessor, Leo, was carried around for four summer tours, with Leigh Halfpenny, Matt Stevens and Jonny Wilkinson among those to be put in charge of him.
