Henry Pollock: 'People can talk all they want... It doesn’t matter to me'

England star Henry Pollock has warned South Africa he will respond to any wind-up attempts by delivering on the field.

Pollock was instrumental in Northampton winning the Gallagher Prem title on Saturday, with his man-of-the-match performance against Exeter at Allianz Stadium arriving eight days after he also starred in the play-off against Leicester.

The flamboyant 21-year-old has played his way into a prominent role when England launch their July tour in Johannesburg on July 4, but he knows he is an unpopular figure in South Africa.

Former Springboks flanker Schalk Burger described him as a “TikTok dancer who plays a bit of rugby” and he is frequently a target for their fans on social media.

When asked if he knows why is disliked in South Africa, he replied: “No. They can talk all they want. I guess I keep showing up.”

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Pollock has been cast as an X-factor player capable of producing moments of magic, but his star turns against Leicester and Exeter were notable for his appetite for making hard yards in the carry.

Having stepped up as a grafter in Saints’ biggest games of the season, he is indifferent to being typecast.

“People can talk all they want,” he said. “I have always said in my career that I don’t listen to outside noise, I don’t listen to people’s opinion.

“I’m very much locked into my role and my team, what I need to do for the team and the coaches.

“You can have all these opinions about, me but I’m just trying to focus on what I do. At the end of the day, it’s white noise. It doesn’t matter to me, it doesn’t go into my brain.

“Semi-finals and finals are the games you want to step up in. Put your hand up and go forward and push the team with you.

“Ultimately we had a lot of boys who did that against Exeter and that’s the reason why we won.”