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Telegraph
21-05-2025
- Sport
- Telegraph
Steve Borthwick backs Henry Pollock to make Lions Test team
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.'
Daily Mail
21-05-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Henry Pollock backed to become Test star for British & Irish Lions by England head coach Steve Borthwick: 'Look at how quickly he's grown. He's clearly an incredibly talented player'
Henry Pollock has been backed to continue his remarkable rise and become a Test Lion in Australia this summer by his England head coach Steve Borthwick. The 20-year-old Northampton back-row has only played 32 minutes of Test rugby. Pollock was handed his full England debut by Borthwick in the Six Nations, coming off the bench to score two tries against Wales in Cardiff. That – combined with his sensational performances at club level – saw him selected by Lions head coach Andy Farrell earlier this month. Asked if he thought Pollock's form could catapult him into the Lions side to take on the Wallabies, Borthwick said: 'I think nobody would bet against that. 'What struck us is that each and every level he steps up to, he really embraces that challenge. 'I sense he's somebody who just jumps all into it and doesn't contemplate it too much. 'I expect him to do the same again this summer. 'Look at how quickly he's grown. He's performed brilliantly. He's clearly an incredibly talented player who just loves the challenge.' On Saturday, Pollock will be part of the Northampton side bidding for Investec Champions Cup glory in their final clash with Bordeaux at Cardiff's Principality Stadium. On Wednesday, he was shortlisted for the Gallagher Premiership's breakthrough player of the season award and is a hot favourite to win that award. Pollock's fellow Lions Finn Russell and Tomos Williams are on the shortlist for the overall Premiership player of the season award alongside Bath prop Thomas du Toit, Sale and England fly-half George Ford and Saracens No 8 Tom Willis. Borthwick will be without 13 of his best players, Pollock included, for England's summer tour matches with Argentina and USA after they were selected for the Lions. He is set to take a squad of 36 to the Americas to cover for potential Lions call-ups, but as yet hasn't discussed players who might be on Farrell's shortlist for cover if injuries strike. England face two Tests with Argentina and one with the USA on three successive Saturdays at the start of July. Borthwick held a training camp this week, but was without his Lions players as well as those from Northampton and Bath who are preparing for European finals. Bath face Lyon on Friday in the Challenge Cup's showdown before the meeting between Northampton and Bordeaux on Saturday. 'Argentina have liked to be the underdog and they are going to go into these games as clear favourites,' Borthwick said. 'That's going to be a different challenge for Argentina to have to deal with – the Argentinean public expecting them to beat us. '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. 'It's going to be a different challenge for them. They can't use the underdog tag. 'They've got to deal with being favourites.'
BBC News
20-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Fit-again Feyi-Waboso named in England training camp
Exeter and England wing Immanuel Feyi-Waboso's prospects of playing Test rugby this summer increased after the 22-year-old was selected for a two-day England training camp this has not played since dislocating his shoulder in December, with his comeback delayed by a setback suffered at an England camp in centre Seb Atkinson, Leicester back row Emeke Ilione and Sale midfielder Rekeiti Ma'asi-White are also included in a 33-strong group that does not include either British and Irish Lions, or players from Northampton and Bath, who are preparing for European finals this 20-year-old prop Afolabi Fasogbon, who was ruled out of Six Nations contention with an ankle injury, is named, along with the likes of Jamie George, George Ford and Ben Curry, who missed out on Lions selection earlier this month. England training squad Forwards:Joe Batley (Bristol Bears), Fin Baxter (Harlequins), Richard Capstick (Exeter Chiefs), Arthur Clark (Gloucester Rugby), Ben Curry (Sale Sharks), Theo Dan (Saracens), Alex Dombrandt (Harlequins), Afolabi Fasogbon (Gloucester Rugby), Jamie George (Saracens), Joe Heyes (Leicester Tigers), Emeka Ilione (Leicester Tigers), Nick Isiekwe (Saracens), Jack Kenningham (Harlequins), Gabriel Oghre (Bristol Bears), Asher Opoku-Fordjour (Sale Shark), Bevan Rodd (Sale Sharks), Tom Willis (Saracens)Backs:Charlie Atkinson (Gloucester Rugby), Seb Atkinson (Gloucester Rugby), Oscar Beard (Harlequins), Joe Carpenter (Sale Sharks), Tobias Elliott (Saracens), Immanuel Feyi-Waboso (Exeter Chiefs), George Ford (Sale Sharks), Rekeiti Ma'asi-White (Sale Sharks), Cadan Murley (Harlequins), Luke Northmore (Harlequins), Raffi Quirke (Sale Sharks), Harry Randall (Bristol Bears), Tom Roebuck (Sale Sharks), Henry Slade (Exeter Chiefs), Freddie Steward (Leicester Tigers), Jack van Poortvliet (Leicester Tigers) Feyi-Waboso had a breakout campaign last season, scoring his first international try off the bench in Six Nations defeat by Scotland, before crossing in all three matches on England's summer tour of Japan and New Zealand. His top-end pace brings an extra dimension to England's attack and was sorely missed despite the team finishing second in this year's Six and England publicly disagreed over how his injury treated, with the recently-signed Professional Game Partnership giving England a greater say in the conditioning and rehabilitation of their centrally contracted head coach Rob Baxter indicated earlier this month that Feyi-Waboso could get a run-out in the Chiefs' final game of the season against Sale on 31 British and Irish Lions head coach Andy Farrell suggested that he would supplement his initial 38-man selection for the tour of Australia with later call-ups for those who need a chance to prove their will play Argentina in Buenos Aires and San Juan on 5 July and 12 July respectively before a one-off Test against the United States on 19 July in will play an uncapped warm-up match against a France XV on 21 June at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham.
Times
08-05-2025
- Sport
- Times
Andy Farrell leaves British & Irish Lions door open for son Owen
Henry Pollock was picked for the British & Irish Lions after only 32 minutes of Test rugby by Andy Farrell, who has also left the door open for his son, Owen, to join the squad. Farrell, the Lions head coach, revealed a 38-man squad on Thursday for the tour to Australia in front of 2,000 fans at the O2 arena in London, with England's Maro Itoje confirmed as his captain. Farrell finalised his squad in a seven-hour selection meeting alongside his assistant coaches in Canning Town, east London, on Wednesday. It is made up of 15 Irishmen, 13 Englishmen, eight Scots and only two Welsh players — Jac Morgan and Tomos Williams — their lowest quota since the Second World War. The Ireland captain Caelan
