'I think Pollock is our best player... he should be starting'

Former Wales fly-half Dan Biggar has praised England head coach Steve Borthwick for the way he has managed back-row Henry Pollock so far in his Test career, saying the 21-year-old is suited to playing from the bench.

Pollock has started only one of his 12 Test appearances since making his debut against Wales in the 2025 Six Nations, which came this year against Ireland, a match Biggar has described as his “poorest outing”.

But with England in apparent free fall this year, the calls for Pollock to start for England have only increased, and intensified following his player of the match performance in the Gallagher PREM final. Those demands reached a fever pitch at the weekend after his 32-minute hat-trick against Fiji at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

One of those calling for Pollock to start is former England fly-half Andy Goode, who made the case for the British & Irish Lion to get the nod in the back-row on The Rugby Pod this week alongside Biggar.

Not only did Goode make the call for Pollock to start, but labelled him England’s best player currently.

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“I think Pollock is our best player,” he said. “You look at the semi-final in the PREM, the final in the PREM, what he did when he came on at the weekend and the excitement around him. He is

“He is a freak show. You talk about some of the South African athletes or whatever, but Henry Pollock, at the minute, is England’s best rugby player so I believe he should be starting.

“We’re going down to Argentina. It’s all very well saying it suits him because he came on against Fiji and we’re playing against 14 men, but he’s got X-factor. He’s got stuff that no one else in that England squad has got – the speed, the power, the footwork.

“We’ve said it week in, week out. He answers every question that’s put in front of him.”

Biggar, on the other hand, explained why Pollock may well be best suited on the bench still, with England taking on Argentina this weekend.

He said: “I actually think [Steve Borthwick] managed Pollock quite well because you saw when he started against Ireland in the Six Nations, when you’re up against a top team, and a team who are going to strangle the game a little bit more, Pollock hasn’t got the space, the time, etc. He probably had his poorest outing, as did a lot of other players, by the way, in that game.

“I just think it suits him so nicely to come on when the game’s broken up. You’re missing a trick by starting him as well at international level.

“I’m just wondering if there are any more changes he would make for Saturday against Argentina.”