Rassie backs out-of-sorts Pollard: ‘You don’t all of a sudden become a bad player’
· Citizen
Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus has thrown his weight behind beleaguered flyhalf Handré Pollard, who has come in for criticism after two poor performances for the Bulls in the United Rugby Championship playoffs.
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Pollard struggled in the Bulls’ comeback win over Glasgow Warriors in the URC semifinals, and was then more off-colour in their heavy final defeat by Leinster this past Friday night.
With the Boks’ flyhalf stocks being boosted by a solid performance from Lions fullback Quan Horn in their 80-31 win over the Barbarians in Gqeberha on Saturday, coupled with Cheslin Kolbe’s impressive goalkicking and the rise of junior talent Vusi Moyo, Erasmus was asked if Pollard’s place in the Bok set-up could be in jeopardy.
The Bok boss banished that notion, insisting that a couple of bad games doesn’t define a player, and that the Boks know exactly what they have in Pollard.
“It’s tough to point fingers at someone when he plays for his franchise and you’ve worked so much with him, which I have since 2018. Some guys struggle a bit in certain structures,” said Erasmus about the two-time World Cup winner.
“Look at how the Sharks struggled (despite all their Springbok players). But we still get those players here because we know what we have in them and they understand our game plan.
“It’s difficult to sometimes make big decisions (to drop players) off franchise form, because you don’t know what the team spirit is like, what happened in that week (leading up to a game). Are the guys all in sync, and are they happy?”
Erasmus continued: “Ackers (Johan Ackermann) is such a great coach. But obviously Handre didn’t shoot the lights out (for the Bulls). But he’s never not done that for us. He has always been solid, so it’s difficult to judge (his recent performances).
“Obviously a lot of people have opinions about that. We know what he can do, he’s 31 so isn’t an old guy, so why would he all of a sudden become a bad player. He’s not injured, so maybe it was just one or two weeks where he wasn’t great.”
With Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu injured, Manie Libbok, who didn’t feature against the Barbarians on Saturday, is likely to start at flyhalf against England in the opening match of the Nations Championship at Ellis Park on 4 July.
Moyo, who is still in the Junior Boks’ ranks, has also been included in the 46-man Nations Championship Bok squad, while Quan Horn, now regarded a utility back and the player who started at 10 against the Barbarians, is also in the squad and an option going forward.
Feinberg-Mngomezulu is on the cards to return to action in late July, following ankle surgery.