'If he performs in this game, he's in the Lions'

Northampton Saints’ Investec Champions Cup semi-final against Leinster at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium has been described as the “first acid test” of Henry Pollock’s career by Andy Goode, but one that could earn him a place on the British and Irish Lions tour according to Jim Hamilton.

Saints’ 20-year-old flanker has already made a try-scoring debut for England this season, has been nominated for the Investec player of the year, tops the Champions Cup for turnovers and has the second-most tries, but the clash against Leinster is viewed as the toughest test of his budding career.

Up against one of the leading contenders to wear the British and Irish Lions No.7 jersey at the end of the season, Josh van der Flier, Pollock has the opportunity to stake his Lions claim, said Goode on The Rugby Pod this week, labelling Leinster an “international team”.

Goode’s podcast co-host Hamilton went a step further, asserting that the Englishman will make Andy Farrell’s Lions squad – which will be named next week – should he thrive in Dublin.

Fixture

Investec Champions Cup

Leinster

34 - 37

Full-time

Northampton

All Stats and Data

“I don’t want to put too much pressure on the lad, but this is the one,” Hamilton said.

“It’s an obvious thing to say, but there’s not going to be a huge amount of space, it’s all going to be about after-contact metres, it’s going to be ‘can he get one turnover?’ Because he’s not going to go into the game and get two or three turnovers against Leinster who are on their hands and knees when they’re blasting through rucks. It’s just not happening.

“But the chip and chase [against Sale Sharks], some of the stuff he has done, he’s looked absolutely phenomenal in the Premiership. But this is it. He performs in this game, I reckon he’s in. Everything that’s around him, the circus, the media, the profile, all that adds to it, but you’ve got to do it on the pitch at the highest level, and this is the level of the Lions and they’re all going to be looking.”

Goode added: “Bearing in mind Josh van der Flier has never been a British and Irish Lion, everyone is talking Henry Pollock up, and rightly so for what he has produced.

“It’s his first acid test. Yes, he got capped against Wales. He came on with 20 to go and got a couple of tries. He’s had some big performances in the Prem, and yes they only played Castres, but he played well in that game in the quarter-finals. But this is proper, how good are you in the here and now?

“He is a good player, bags and bags of potential, we’re loving what he is doing and how he is doing it, but this is a proper ‘how big are your balls?’ Can you take everything that you’ve done so far and do it against a top international team in Leinster?

“His battle with van der Flier, we’ll know come Sunday how players have performed- whether he’s ready to take the step to the Lions, as people are saying he’s a potential bolter, or your time will come in four years’ time.”