Jeremy Paul and Justin Marshall believe that Henry Pollock could well come into the British and Irish Lions Test reckoning despite his inexperience.
The 20-year-old was this tour’s bolter after a meteoric rise which saw him go from a World Rugby U20 Championship winner to a Lion in the space of under 12 months.
However, it is one thing to get into the wider squad and another to crack the 23, but Paul insists that his qualities would, at the very least, be ideal from the bench.
Thanks to his pace and power, Pollock is explosive in the loose and could well prove to be an effective option in the second period.
On the GBRANZ podcast, Paul delved into the makeup of the bench and how coaches are looking to assemble their 23.
Impact in the final half-hour
“[Springboks head coach] Rassie [Erasmus] sees it as a forward who can change a game and doesn’t have a back that can come on and actually win the game for you. I look at the same with the Wallabies and go someone like a Carlo Tizzano,” the 72-times capped former Wallaby said.
“Tizzano is a guy who is the leading try-scorer in Super Rugby, he’s beefed up and he’s also very hard on the ball.
“It’s between Tizzano and any back. I look at the backs that we have – yes there’s some incredible talent – and I don’t think they’re going to make as big an impact on a game.
“I then look at Henry Pollock and go, ‘what about if this kid comes on with 20 or 30 minutes to go?’ He could change the entire perception of the game.”
The importance of the bench has been heightened by the Springboks ‘Bomb Squad’, a tactic which has revolutionised the sport.
Marshall believes that Pollock shares similar characteristics to a South African double Rugby World Cup winner, who has almost become their Swiss army knife.
“He’s going to change the trend and that’s what a Kwagga Smith does. He comes on and plays completely differently to the other loosies,” the ex-All Blacks scrum-half said.
“To a degree, he plays completely differently to any other loosie in the world, maybe bar Ardie Savea.
“That’s what I’ve always said; if we can get our heads around the fact that Ardie Savea can come off the bench…
“It’s because he (Savea) plays completely differently to anybody else in the world, and so does Kwagga Smith. He comes and he just changes the way the game has been played by anyone in that jersey, and it changes the picture for the defence, as well as the attack.
“All of a sudden, he’s doing things, he’s out in the backline because he can run like a winger. Pollock is very similar to that.”
Having to chase a game
Marshall insists that the Lions head coach will have to think about all eventualities heading into the Tests, which is what could stand Pollock in good stead.
“If Andy Farrell wants to think about the fact that he may have to chase a Test match. That’s what you’ve got to think about as a coach. You can’t think about getting to the 60th minute and trying to win a Test that you’re already in the lead of or you’re just behind of,” he added.
“Say you’re behind by 12 points, who the f*** am I going to bring on that is going to find those 12 or 13 points to win this Test match?
“It’s not going to be more of the same because more of the same has got you behind. Maybe he does come into the mix.”
READ MORE: Henry Pollock’s ploy to avoid B&I Lions blunder which sent Louis Rees-Zammit ‘to the NFL’
Src: Planetrugby.com - https://www.planetrugby.com/news/the-springboks-star-henry-pollock-is-very-similar-to-as-wallabies-great-warns-lions-bolter-could-change-the-entire-perception-of-the-game
