It's night and day between Handre Pollard and the Lions flyhalves
There shouldn’t be much stress for returning Springbok flyhalf Handre Pollard about his job ahead of his return from injury for the reigning World Cup holders.
When you have the easiest job of any 10 in world rugby, what is there to worry about?
Sit behind a big pack, watch them carry all day, enjoy the theatre while your scrumhalf is responsible for controlling nearly all aspects of the game.
This should make Pollard’s return as seamless and smooth as humanly possible against Georgia despite playing just four games recently for Montpellier.
Bark some orders at your forwards, hoist a few bombs and kick a few penalties. Watch your team smother the opposition on defence.
The only thing that he needs to do is ensure he is on-song from the tee and limit his mistakes. Just don’t mess up on the rare occasion the ball comes your way and kick the goals.
The contrast with the Lions’ stable of flyhalves is night and day.
Whoever eventually starts at 10 for the tourists, Dan Biggar, Owen Farrell or Finn Russell, will be central to any Lions’ game plan with the series essentially resting on their shoulders.
They will be responsible for pulling off the strike plays, embedded with different roles in the array of plays that ask the Lions’ backs to find answers to the Boks defence.
On some they will be distributors tasked with holding up the defence just enough, on others they will be the primary playmaker responsible for committing the defence and picking the right option.
They will handle the ball on most phases, guide runners into gaps, link with their outsides, control the side’s phase play, choose when to play for territory in midfield zones and dictate terms from the backfield.
They will digest, and try and master over the next few weeks, a grand plan of schemes of which the success heavily depends on them.
Sure, there are plays that call on Pollard to make a pass every now and again, on the rare occasion the call isn’t for Damian de Allende to truck up another carry from Faf de Klerk.
The flyhalf is quintessential to the European game as much as it is for New Zealand. The flyhalf is not a backseat passenger who turns up when the captain calls for a shot at goal. That is the South African way.
It is a fundamental difference in philosophies on how to play the game, on who is responsible for the winning of the game and in what manner. And for South Africa, the flyhalf is there to kick goals and stay out of the way.
Need proof?
Not one South African 10 has ever been nominated, let alone won, the World Rugby Player of the Year award in the 20 years it has been around.
The list of flyhalf nominees is as follows: Jonny Wilkinson (twice), Dan Carter (four times), Juan Martin Hernandez (once), Owen Farrell (three times), Jonathan Sexton (twice), Frederic Michelak (once) and Beauden Barrett (three times).
There’s no mention of Butch James, Ruan Pienaar, Morne Steyn, or Pollard. The Springboks who are nominated are usually an exemplary forward, an outstanding outside back or their main game driver – the scrumhalf.
This is not to say they aren’t capable players. Pollard himself was a genuine all-round prospect at under-20 level with vast talents coming through the system.
However, there are only a handful of games in his Springbok career so far that warrant even talking about – New Zealand in Johannesburg in 2014, Scotland at Murrayfield in 2018 and perhaps Argentina in Salta in 2019.
The South African flyhalves simply do not have the body of work to earn such recognition. They aren’t entrusted to play a varied and skilled game at the international level that calls upon, and tests, their ability in multiple facets.
Those wanting Pollard recognised as one of the world’s best need to first ask the Springbok coaches to change the entire game plan so he can prove it.
Although in doing so you may witness a return to the 2016-17 Springboks who tried to adopt an expansive game and became a lost soul, unsure of their identity, and subsequently plummeted down the World Rankings.
The Springboks can win this Lions series with Morne Steyn at 10. On form, you would pick him. He’s healthy, in vintage touch and has all the experience in the world. He’s a better goal kicker too.
Steyn or Pollard, take your pick. All that matters is that they kick goals. And if Pollard can do that, he will play. He doesn’t need to do anything else.
The difference for the Lions pivots is they shoulder a much heavier burden. And should they win, they will likely deserve an unequal share of the plaudits. Perhaps build the case for a World Player of the Year nomination too.
Comments on RugbyPass
The side is good but lacks experience. International playing bona fides udually trumps super rugby form for good reason. And incumbents are usually stuck with. Codie Taylor should start or come off the bench. B Barrett will start at fullback. Blackadder has not earned the position, Finau has. TJs experience and competitiveness earns him a starting role, Christie or Ratima off the bench
4 Go to commentsPretty good side. Scott Barrett should be the captain. Ethan Blackadder a great choice at blindside. He is going to go from strength to strength having made a couple of starts for the Crusaders. Scott Robertson rates him highly. Perenara could start a no 9.
4 Go to commentsI question and with respect. Was enough done over the last few years to bring through new blood knowing the Whitelocks and co couldn’t last forever. There should have been more done to future proof the team. New squad new coach, he and they weren’t set up well. IMO
6 Go to commentsJacobsen will definitely be in the 23
4 Go to commentsLots of discussion points, Ben, but two glaring follies IMO: 1. Blackadder at 6. Has done nothing so far this season to justify his selection. Did you see him going backwards in contact at the weekend? Simply has not got the physical presence at 6: we need a Scott Barrett or a Finau (or wildcard Ah Kuoi), beasts who are big enough to play lock, like Frizzell. If Barret played at 6, Paddy could be joined at lock by Vai’i or one of the young giants we need to promote, like Darry or Lord (if he ever gets on the field). Blackadder best left to join the queue for 7. 2. Not even a mention for Christie? Ratima gets caught at crucial times at the back of the ruck when he hesitates on the pass. The only way he starts would be if Christie and TJ are injured.
4 Go to commentsWhat a dagg in more ways than one
6 Go to commentsRegroup come back next year but sack some of the coaching team and don't be like the ABs last minute sacking. If Crusaders don't do well ABs don't do well.
5 Go to commentsProctor Definitely inform again this year had a hell of a season last year and this year is looking even better. Still mixed feelings about Ioane tho.
4 Go to commentsDagg is still trying to get enough headlines to make himself relevant enough to get a job. The Crusaders went back to square one at all levels. Shelve this season and nail the next one.
6 Go to commentsHe was in such great form. Sad for him but only a short term injury and it will be great to see him back for the finals.
1 Go to commentsAfter their 5/0 start, I had the Crusaders to finish Top 4 only…they lost the plot in Perth but will reload and back themselves vs 4th placed Rebels…
5 Go to commentsBoth nations missed a great opportunity to book a game that would have had a lot of interest from around the world. I understand these games can’t be organised in 5 minutes but they should have found a way to make it happen. I don’t think Wales are ducking anyone but it’s a bad look haha.
3 Go to commentsIt will be fascinating to see the effect that Jo Yapp has. If they can compete with Canada and give BFs a run for their money that will be progress
1 Go to commentsFollowing his dream and putting in the work. Go well young fella!
3 Go to commentsPerhaps filling Twickenham is one of Mitchell’s KPIs. I doubt whether both September matches will be at Twickenham on consecutive weekends. I would take the BF one to a large provincial stadium so as not to give them the advantage and experience of playing at Twickenham before a large crowd prior to the RWC.
3 Go to commentsvery unfortunate for Kitshoff, but big opportunity potentially for Nché to prove he is genuinely the best loosehead in the world, rather than just a specialist finisher. Presuming that if Kitshoff is out, it will also give Steenekamp a chance to come into the 23? Or are others likely to be ahead of him?
1 Go to commentsA long held question in popular culture asks if art imitates life or does the latter influence the former? Over this 6 nations I can ask the same question of the media influencing the thoughts of its audience or vice versa. Nobody wants to see cricket scores in rugby, as a spectacle it is not sustainable. With so many articles about England’s procession and lack of competition it feeds the epicaricacy of many looking for an opportunity to pounce. England are not the first team to dominate nor does it happen only in rugby, think Federer, Nadal, Red Bull or Mercedes, Manchester Utd, Australia in tests and World Cups. Instead of celebrating the achievements why find reasons to falsify it pointing towards larger playing pool, professional for a longer period or mitigate with the lack of growth in other nations. Can we not enjoy it while it is here and know that it won’t last for ever, others coveting what England have will soon take the crown, ask the aforementioned?
6 Go to commentsShame he won’t turn out for the Netherlands now they’re improving. U20s are Euro champs and in the U20 Trophy this year. The senior sides gets better every year too.
3 Go to commentsWill rugbypass tv be showing these games?
1 Go to commentsWell where do you start, the fact that England have a professional domestic league and Ireland’s is fully amatuer, that they have fully seperated professional squads at Fifteens and Sevens (7’s thinly disguised as GB), and Ireland have fully pro Sevens squad who loan some players back to the Semi-Professional Fifteens squad (moved from amateur for only a year or so) for a few games at 6N & RWC’s. The Women’s games is a shambles, and is at risk of killing itself by pushing for professionalism when the market isn’t really there to support it outside one or two countnries..
6 Go to comments