Lions legend sounds Henry Pollock word of caution ahead of Aussie tour

Former British and Irish Lions scrum-half Matt Dawson has sounded a note of caution over the hype surrounding Henry Pollock, warning that the 20-year-old sensation will be firmly in the crosshairs when the 2025 Lions tour kicks off in Australia.

Pollock was at the centre of a storm during the weekend’s Investec Champions Cup final in Cardiff, where he clashed with France fly-half Matthieu Jalibert and other UBB players in the aftermath of Bordeaux-Bègles’ 28–20 win over Northampton Saints.

Jalibert later revealed the altercation stemmed from perceived disrespect shown by Saints players in the build-up.

“I told him (Pollock) that he didn’t know our club,” Jalibert said. “They said some things in the press which we didn’t really appreciate… They said that we were a club of mercenaries who are here for the money. I just told him that he doesn’t know our history, where we came from and that he must respect all clubs.”

Pollock, who had again delivered standout performances for Saints this season, was reportedly targeted by several Bordeaux players in the post-match scenes, with teammate Fin Smith saying: “I remember they all sort of charged at him and were trying to get hold of him… I’m surprised if you’ve just won a European Cup, the first thing you want to do is start a fight with a 20-year-old.”

Head coach Phil Dowson added: “Henry Pollock was particularly upset by it because I think it was uncalled for and out of order. He reacted, and the officials have told me that they will deal with it.”

The incident has only heightened scrutiny around Pollock, who was selected by Andy Farrell for the Lions tour to Australia following a remarkable breakthrough season with Northampton. The flanker has impressed with his turnover ability, pace, and eye for the tryline, scoring on his Six Nations debut and starring in the Investec Champions Cup semi-final win over Leinster.

But Dawson – a 1997 Test Lion and World Cup winner with England – believes the media attention and rising expectations could make Pollock a target for opposition players and the Australian press.

“Imagine if you’re not a Northampton fan or an England fan, you think ‘he is an absolute…’ whatever you want to say at the end of that with asterisks. You will, because you’re like ‘who do you think you are’,” said Dawson on BBC Radio 5 Live.

“There were conversations and stories coming out, that [Maxime] Lucu or someone was sending pictures of Henry Pollock around to their own teammates to say ‘this is the guy we need to (target)’.

“He is going to be a marked man, we can’t lose sight of that, it’s not going to change. Could you imagine what the Aussies and the Aussie press, the headlines in the papers, all the rest of it. They are going to be all over people like Pollock.”

Dawson warned that a Lions tour in Australia is a different beast and that the physical and psychological demands of touring Australia – particularly with the Aussie press spotlight on him – could present a valuable reality check.

“I’m hoping in a weird kind of way, [that] very quickly he’s realised that rugby’s pretty difficult and it’s not just about scoring two tries on my debut and running around people in the semi-finals,” Dawson said. “Maybe it will benefit the Lions, who knows.”