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Yahoo
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
The Making of Henry Pollock
By James Toney You'd be forgiven for thinking Henry Pollock was born in Bundaberg rather than Banbury, because in many ways he is a prodigious, swashbuckling talent straight from Aussie central casting. Swaggering confidence and an unstinting self-belief beyond his years combine with a natural flair for getting under the skin of his opponents. Advertisement He even has the makings of a very strong mullet and is every bit the viral baller – the sort you love to play for you but hate to play against. Think David Campese, but with muscles. Pollock's journey from schoolboy rugby to becoming the youngest forward to play for the British & Irish Lions since 1968 may seem meteoric – he's played barely 40 games at senior level – but it comes as no surprise to him or anyone who knows him. 'It's been mad, the last year's just come so fast,' he said. 'It's been crazy and I'm just trying to enjoy every moment of it, take it all in, and just enjoy rugby and enjoy the moment. 'I've got a great family unit around me and I always look to them and friends whenever I'm on my own or in a dark space. Advertisement 'I'm just working hard and giving everything to my rugby now, no distractions. I'm trying to put more muscle on, working on attack and defence, and across my whole game. I'm definitely not the finished article, so there's definitely more to come. 'I'm here to play Test rugby, that's what I'm pushing for, but I'm also trying to enjoy the journey and just take in all the moments that come with being a Lion.' Those who played a part in Pollock's journey universally speak of his single-mindedness to improve, pushing himself in every training session, beyond the limits of most team-mates. Andrew Porter, Pierre Schoeman and Henry Pollock (©INPHO/Ben Brady) His strength and conditioning coach at Northampton, Jason Sivil, has witnessed the 20-year-old's hard work with awe. Advertisement He has bulked up to over 100kg, can squat 230kg for three reps and bench press 140kg. His aerobic capacity means he can cover the lung-burning 'broncho' – a 1200-metre shuttle run dreaded at clubs up and down the country – in just four minutes and 25 seconds. 'He always wants more, always wants another challenge. All Henry wants to do is push himself further and harder,' said Sivil. Pollock's memories of the last Lions tour to Australia in 2013 are sketchy – though in fairness, he'd only just started playing for the minis at Buckingham Swans, where his first coach, Nick Glister, was quick to identify his raw promise. 'I just remember how strong he was, and super-fit too,' he recalls. 'He was confident, a bit cheeky and very local, but a great team-mate. You could see he was a natural leader.' Advertisement Former Northampton player Grant Seely helped take Pollock's game to the next level at rugby institution Stowe School, while he joined the academy at Saints in his early teens, crediting coach Will Parkin as his biggest influence. However, it wasn't until his sixth form that those guiding his career realised his potential to become a generational player for club, country and – though perhaps a little quicker than even they thought – the Lions. Pollock, like the Wallabies' brilliant rugby league convert Joseph Sua'ali'i, will arrive in Australia as one of the most talked-about players in the game, such has been his rapid ascent. Some might label him a 'bolter' – but in truth, when his name was revealed to fans by Andy Farrell at London's O2, there were universal nods of approval and not a single arched eyebrow of surprise. Advertisement His last 12 months have seen him win the Under-20 World Cup and score two tries on his England debut against Wales, quickly glossing over the fact that, with two Scottish parents, he grew up preferring a thistle to a rose. Henry Pollock is the youngeset player in the Lions squad. (©INPHO/Billy Stickland) He has forced his way into Farrell's selection thoughts not just on the strength of his personality, but the power of his play. Players may be tracked to the inch by their GPS data, but Pollock's game is about more than just those cold, hard metrics – which is perhaps why Maro Itoje, when asked to describe him in one word, couldn't decide between 'annoying' and 'pest', while being quick to add it was meant as a compliment. Advertisement 'I'm going to be the nuisance, I'm going to get up in your face because I'm at my best when I'm confrontational, that's just key to my game,' adds Pollock. 'I'm aggressive – it's been that way since my brother and I were in the back garden and we both liked to win. I'm not looking for trouble, but I'm not shying away from it either. I'm still grafting and still really learning my game.' This is more than just fighting talk, as anyone among the 6,000 at the Stoop for his England A debut last November will testify. Towering Aussie flanker Tom Hooper had given the then-teenager a couple of cheeky digs in an attempt to assert some authority, and Pollock wasn't having it. Advertisement Despite the height, weight, age and experience difference, he stood up to the Exeter-bound blindside flanker, hurling his scrum cap across the pitch as a scuffle ensued. Following a stern word from the referee, Pollock jogged back to his team-mates with a broad grin – mission accomplished. And then there are the celebrations: the basketball lob, or now-trademark 'pulse' – two fingers held to the neck as if to check for signs of life. Australian rugby has a proud history of showmen, including current star Nick Frost, arguably the Wallabies' most athletically gifted lock forward since the great John Eales. Pollock might be from half a world away, but he is cut from similar cloth. Advertisement Hard work has got Pollock to this point, but genetics have helped too – he credits his mum, Hester, with instilling his love of sport, with swimming and triathlon taking equal focus alongside rugby in his early teens. 'My brother, sister and I just all lived for sports – there was no pressure on us, we just played without fear or commitment,' he added. Of course, being the youngest tourist brings additional responsibilities. Pollock will have sole guardianship of the stuffed toy Lion, aptly named 'BIL', and there are serious consequences should it go missing – not easy when more experienced hands have been known to steal and hide him at every available opportunity. Pollock will be in charge of mascot BIL. (©INPHO/Billy Stickland) 'I'm thinking of sewing an AirTag in him,' joked Pollock – a very Gen Z solution to a tradition that started in 1950, with now-captain Itoje taking the role eight years ago in New Zealand, a challenge he jokingly described as more stressful than battling the All Blacks. Advertisement Pollock isn't sure he's going to get much support from Northampton team-mates Tommy Freeman, Alex Mitchell and Fin Smith in his quest to keep 'BIL' safe, but there is no doubt about the tight bond between the four Saints. 'It's so nice to have the boys with me – they're some of my best mates,' he added. 'It's so special to do this with them. They're amazing players and they deserve this. I'm just so happy for them and so happy to be there with their journey, and just looking forward to seeing them rip in.' Rip in? He just might be an Aussie after all. Tap into the Lions Clubhouse App. All you need to do is tap the Smart Tag on your new Lions jersey to access content and join a community of passionate fans for the 2025 Tour of Australia.
South Wales Argus
2 days ago
- Sport
- South Wales Argus
Harry Randall challenges England to 'make a statement'
The majority of the 27-year-old's 14 international caps have been from the bench, as was the case in his two Six Nations appearances earlier this year, but Alex Mitchell's British & Irish Lions call-up has opened up an opportunity for the scrum-half. It is one the Bristol Bears star is determined to seize and he was able to get to know some of those he may end up touring with as part of a 33-man training squad who assembled at Pennyhill Park last week. 'It will be really cool,' he said. 'I've never been to Argentina or Washington, which is exciting in itself, and it will be a great group of boys to be a part of. 'It's an opportunity to go out and make a bit of a statement in Argentina and America. 'We have a few Argies at Bristol now who talk it up so look forward to seeing them out there. 'Argentina are probably one of the most improved sides over the past four or five years, competing in the Rugby Championship as they do every year. 'They are a big, physical team, that's the first battle, and they pose a load of threats out wide, as you've seen in the Premiership this year. It will be a great test.' Randall hopes to head into the summer off the back of a play-off campaign with Bristol Bears, who head into the final weekend of the Premiership season in the fourth and final spot. That means their destiny is in their own hands for the visit of Harlequins and their No.9 is hoping to end a rollercoaster regular season on a high. 'It has been very up and down,' he added. 'At the start of the season, your goal is to be in those play-off spots and within a chance of winning the Premiership and that's where we are at the moment, so we can't complain. 'We are in that spot, we have a big last game at home and hopefully we get a chance at a play-off. 'Teams have developed how they play against us so being able to adapt in games, for myself as a nine, doing what's best for us to win games has been big this season. 'That last game of the season at home is always a nice send-off for a few boys who are heading off at the end of the season and it's a chance to celebrate the year in front of your own fans. 'We know the test Quins will pose and we are really excited about it.' Randall was an unused replacement when England beat France in the Guinness Men's Six Nations earlier this year. Should Bristol not make the Premiership showpiece, he will hope to have a greater involvement when the international summer begins with a visit from a Les Bleus XV to Allianz Stadium on June 21. 'It's an opportunity for those boys not involved in the (Premiership) final, a chance for boys to stamp their chances of getting on tour and the team to get a bit of cohesion.' England XV face France XV at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham, on Saturday 21 June at 3:15pm. Tickets from £25, please visit
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Lifestyle
- Yahoo
Trash-talk and rough sleeping: following the 2001 Lions' tour of Australia
Jason Robinson scored five tries for the British & Irish Lions in their emphatic victory against the Queensland Presidents' XV in 2001. Jason Robinson scored five tries for the British & Irish Lions in their emphatic victory against the Queensland Presidents' XV in 2001. Photograph:June 2001. I'm on an overnight Greyhound bus from Cairns to Townsville. A typical post-university year travelling in Australia and New Zealand has taken an unwelcome turn after an equally typical relationship breakup. Initially there had been no plans to follow that year's British & Irish Lions tour, even though I had been enthralled by the classic encounter against the Springboks four years earlier. With my newfound freedom it seemed logical to head south, a couple of hundred miles down the coast, to see the legendary tourists in action. Advertisement Unbeknown to me I was on the way to witness the birth of a new star in rugby union's galaxy. The next day Jason Robinson, freshly converted from rugby league, scored five tries in an 83-6 victory against the Queensland Presidents' XV. Robinson had been an unknown quantity in his new code, but no longer. 'The only real question now,' wrote Robert Kitson, 'is just how the Wallabies will deal with him when the Test series starts.' As the Australian media increasingly placed itself on a war footing it was Robinson – along with a budding Brian O'Driscoll – they were most concerned about. After a taste of the unique Lions atmosphere, I was hooked. Itineraries were changed, flights booked, tickets rustled up. Sourcing a first-Test ticket proved impossible, so I settled for watching in a packed bar on Magnetic Island. Cue Robinson burning past Chris Latham, the Wallabies full-back, for that exhilarating first try at the Gabba. Cue utter pandemonium. A little later, the celebrations that met O'Driscoll's second-half breakaway try, one of the great Lions moments, remain imprinted in my memory. So does the local fan who told me after the match: 'Mate, it's the All Blacks we really want to beat. The Lions doesn't matter.' Advertisement Not on the evidence of the coming weeks. 'Threat of a rout hangs in the air,' read one rueful headline as Australia came to terms with the Lions' first-Test supremacy. Martin Johnson's side had been dominant and Rod Macqueen, Australia's coach, had some thinking to do. On and off the pitch the Lions had been in the ascendancy. An inquest was held as to how so many foreign fans secured tickets for the Gabba. Australian gold T-shirts and flags were produced and distributed to home supporters in a desperate attempt to redress the balance. As an English cricket fan, I was accustomed to Australia's Ashes tourists being received by largely upbeat media coverage, a smattering of polite applause, perhaps even a word or two of encouragement. I was taken aback by the Australian media's tactics as defeat loomed into view. As far as they were concerned this was all-out war. Journalists saw themselves as the Wallabies' 16th man, and every opportunity to take a potshot at the tourists was enthusiastically seized. Advertisement To Melbourne for round two, where Nathan Grey put the fearsome England blindside flanker, Richard Hill, out of the series. Graham Henry's side had looked on course for a series-sealing victory – they led 11-6 at half-time after Neil Back's try. A couple of big chances were missed – a break by Dafydd James, the Wales wing, lingers in the mind. Hill's enforced departure, and a momentum-turning Joe Roff intercept from a looping Jonny Wilkinson pass culminated in a 35-14 home win. Matthew Burke kicked six penalties and a conversion, Roff crossed twice. Game on. 'The management insist it was an unpunished act of thuggery,' Kitson wrote of Grey v Hill. 'It is fair to say we are very disappointed,' said Donal Lenihan, the tourists' manager, after the Wallabies centre – who subsequently said the incident was accidental – escaped punishment. The Lions won three halves of rugby with Hill, and lost the next three without him. But perhaps some of the Lions' problems were self-inflicted. There were rumblings of discontent within camp about how hard the players were being worked. (Peaking in Brisbane before fading in Melbourne and Sydney would ultimately point to fatigue being a factor.) Advertisement Austin Healey's Observer column, meanwhile, caused a furore before the final Test when he labelled the Australia lock Justin Harrison an 'ape' and a 'plank'. The Australian media needed no further invitation to give Healey and the Lions both barrels. Tickets for that Sydney decider were like gold dust. Securing one involved a night in a sleeping bag on the pavement outside a branch of Ticketek. My girlfriend – we were back together by then – bravely joined me on the concrete. My personal life may have been mended temporarily, but a sporting calamity beckoned. Wilkinson, a major injury doubt for the third Test, recovered and performed with customary grit. Home fans around us at Stadium Australia endlessly insisted he was about to 'choke', but a personal haul of 18 points would suggest otherwise. Still the Lions trailed in the dying minutes. They won a lineout in the corner. With Wilkinson kicking metronomically, even a pushover score out wide would surely be converted? But Harrison didn't need to think too hard about who the tourists would look for in the all-important lineout. He snaffled a throw intended for Johnson, and with it the series. Advertisement Order restored, as the Aussies saw it, the Lions' threat safely seen off. But the conflict continued. Wearing a Lions shirt around Sydney attracted some trash-talk in the following days, often from children: the life of a sporting tourist in Australia. Those formative memories of 2001 – almost a generation ago, or what can feel like the blink of an eye – will last for ever, but some things never change. Maro Itoje and co be warned: the Aussies still hate losing, and are sure to indulge in a spot of Lions-baiting, too. This is an extract taken from our weekly rugby union email, the Breakdown. To sign up, just visit this page and follow the instructions.
RTÉ News
27-05-2025
- Sport
- RTÉ News
Sudden-death extra time proposed for Lions test decider
Rugby Australia chief Phil Waugh says the board of the British & Irish Lions is considering a proposal for sudden-death extra time should a deciding third test in the upcoming series finish in a draw. In 2017, in one of the great anti-climaxes in the history of the game, the Lions ended up sharing series honours with the All Blacks after the deciding third test ended in a 15-15 draw. Waugh said Rugby Australia was keen to put the spectator experience at the heart of everything during the Lions tour so had suggested at meetings in London that 'golden point' extra-time be played in such a situation. "We've had some really constructive conversations. That's got to go to the Lions board around whether it's a drawn series, or you decide it through golden point or extra time," Waugh told the Sydney Morning Herald. "Our preference, if we put the fans at the centre of everything we're doing, I think that the familiarity that everyone has with 'superpoint' and the interest for that in our market is a good guide. "Obviously, we will be making sure both parties agree. But I think that if you're thinking about some fan engagement, that's certainly very appealing." In the case of a draw after 80 minutes in Super Rugby matches, teams play 10 minutes of "superpoint" extra time with any score immediately deciding the winner. Waugh said both sides had agreed that the 20-minute red card, which has been played in the southern hemisphere for several seasons and made its debut in the Six Nations this year, would be the rule for the series. "We've been very vocal in our support for the 20-minute red card," Waugh told the newspaper. The Lions will play Argentina at the Aviva Stadium on 20 June before three tests and six tour matches in Australia in June, July and August.
Straits Times
27-05-2025
- Sport
- Straits Times
Extra time under consideration for Lions series decider
SYDNEY - Rugby Australia chief Phil Waugh says the board of the British & Irish Lions is considering a proposal for sudden-death extra time should a deciding third test in the upcoming series finish in a draw. In 2017, in one of the great anti-climaxes in the history of the game, the Lions ended up sharing series honours with the All Blacks after the deciding third test ended in a 15-15 draw. Waugh said RA was keen to put the spectator experience at the heart of everything during the Lions tour so had suggested at meetings in London that 'golden point' extra time be played in such a situation. "We've had some really constructive conversations. That's got to go to the Lions board around whether it's a drawn series, or you decide it through golden point or extra time," Waugh told the Sydney Morning Herald. "Our preference, if we put the fans at the centre of everything we're doing, I think that the familiarity that everyone has with 'superpoint' and the interest for that in our market is a good guide. "Obviously, we will be making sure both parties agree. But I think that if you're thinking about some fan engagement, that's certainly very appealing."In the case of a draw after 80 minutes in Super Rugby matches, teams play 10 minutes of "superpoint" extra time with any score immediately deciding the winner. Waugh said both sides had agreed that the 20-minute red card, which has been played in the southern hemisphere for several seasons and made its debut in the Six Nations this year, would be the rule for the series. "We've been very vocal in our support for the 20-minute red card," Waugh told the newspaper. The Lions will play Argentina in Dublin on June 20 before three tests and six tour matches in Australia in June, July and August. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
