'Rock star' Henry Pollock given warning by ex-England international

Henry Pollock has been warned he is a “marked man” as the England star looks to build on his stellar debut season.

Fresh from appearing on the British and Irish Lions tour to Australia, Pollock has been named on the bench for Saturday’s autumn opener against the Wallabies at Allianz Stadium.

The 20-year-old back row continues to generate interest after Steve Borthwick revealed he has been deployed on the wing in training with a view to becoming a hybrid player, a valuable asset in the modern game.

Former England and Lions wing Ugo Monye insists bettering the 2024-25 campaign will be difficult, but is backing Pollock to rise to the occasion.

“I’ll quote Henry. He posted this on Instagram on September 23: ‘What you’ve seen so far is only the start’,” TNT pundit Monye told the PA news agency.

“I’m here for the next episode because if that’s the start, he’s going to have an absolute rock star of a career.

“Debut for England, he’s nominated for European player of the year, scores two tries on his England debut and goes on a Lions tour.

“But the second season is always tougher and it’s undoubtedly going to be a huge challenge for him.

“He would have got away with certain bits and pieces in his first season because people didn’t know him so well.

“Now he’s a marked man, he’s a targeted player, but understanding the personality of Henry, that’s what he wants.

“Henry will have a mindset of unequivocally backing himself. He actually won’t care. He won’t care for opposition, not in a disrespectful way, because he has ultimate belief in his ability.”

Monye, who won 14 caps as a wing for England from 2008 to 2012, believes Pollock has work to do if he is to become a viable option in the back line.

“Is Henry Pollock quick enough to play out on the wing? He’s not Henry Arundell quick, but he’s quick enough,” Monye said.

“But his challenge will have to be to develop his aerial game because the way the laws have gone with escort lines and screening, you can get really exposed if you’re not good there and you can get really awarded if you are.

“It’s a big challenge because there’s lots he’s going to have to pick up. He’s got work to do, not just in the air but understanding the importance of the backfield coverage, working as a unit, all of that. He’ll have two years to work on that before he gets the World Cup.

“There are some skill things and some rugby IQ things he will have to learn. The athleticism side of it would be so natural to him, the way he roams and understands the game.

“His feel of the game is lent way more to the mind of a back than it is to a forward, and that’s what makes him such a special player.”

::The Quilter Nations Series is live on TNT Sports and discovery+ from 1-29 November.