Lawrence Dallaglio has highlighted a huge opportunity for Henry Pollock to cement an England spot ahead of Six Nations selection by delivering on enemy soil in Sunday’s Champions Cup final rematch.
The young Northampton star was the talk of last season’s showpiece after being caught up in a post-match fracas at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium and taunted by Bordeaux players.
Pollock was grabbed by the throat by Jefferson Poirot, sledged by Matthieu Jalibert and later mocked by Tevita Tatafu.
‘England are sort of plugging the gap’
The Saints back-row turns 21 next week, but has already come of age as an international star, earning British and Irish Lions selection and scoring three tries in five England appearances.
With nearly a quarter of a million followers on Instagram, he has quickly become one of rugby’s best-known players. He has yet to start a Test match, however, and that is the next step for the Banbury-born showstopper.
Dallaglio knows a thing or two about back row play and, with Bordeaux-bound Tom Willis out of the England selection picture, says the race is very much on for his old England No.8 shirt.
“Tom is head and shoulders the best number eight in the Prem, by some distance,” says the World Cup winner. “He’s beaten twice as many defenders as the bloke in second place.
“It’s hugely disappointing that he’s no longer available, as I genuinely believed he was a future England captain, but Steve Borthwick has made the sensible decision to move on quickly, and England are sort of plugging the gap.
“Ben Earl has done an outstanding job, and Greg Fisilau is definitely pushing, though not there yet. Chandler Cunningham-South started against Fiji, but when your team [Harlequins] gets beaten by 20 or 30 every week, it’s hard to shine, other than on tackle count.
“And then there is Pollock, who started a couple of games for the Lions at number eight and played there for Saints at Bath last week, scoring two tries, when they did quite a number on the Prem champions.
“We’re a month out from the Six Nations. If you’re Steve [Borthwick], knowing England’s campaign climaxes against France in Paris and they have three away games, of course, you’re going to put a little bit more currency on [club] performances away from home.
“So do I think he’ll be looking out this weekend for players making a statement away from home? Too right, because I know I would be.
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“I don’t tend to set too much store by players who play at home spectacularly well,” Dallaglio adds. “We can all do that, no matter what nationality you are. You’re spoon-fed, really, when you’re playing at home. You’ve got your own fans, you’re sleeping in your own bed.
“What catches my eye are the players that go away from home and deliver. It doesn’t guarantee you selection, but it makes a big statement.”
‘Henry has achieved in his short career what the majority of people set out to achieve across their whole career’
Of all the aforementioned contenders for the No. 8 slot, only Pollock has an away date in the Champions Cup. Given the opposition and it being the tie of the round, Dallaglio is excited to see how he fares.
“Henry has achieved in his short career what the majority of people set out to achieve across their whole career,” he adds. “And he’s improving all the time.