Schalk Burger's preferred position for Henry Pollock may not go down well

Schalk Burger has compared England flanker Henry Pollock to double World Cup-winning Springbok Kwagga Smith, and has suggested his best position may also be from the bench.

Former sevens specialist Smith has garnered a cult following over the years for the impact he has on games from the bench and how he is used by Rassie Erasmus. Whether he’s slotting into the backline in a 6-2 or 7-1 bench split, causing mayhem at the breakdown, or generally injecting pace and energy into the pack, Smith is a unique specimen in Test rugby, and someone Burger believes is cut from the same cloth as Pollock.

Speaking on the latest episode of RugbyPass TV’s Boks Office, the Springboks great said that the 20-year-old Englishman’s point of difference is his pace, saying he is “almost like having another back on the field”. This skillset, he believes, is best put to use from the bench.

Pollock showed that in his Test debut in round five of the Guinness Six Nations against Wales this year, scoring two tries in a 30-minute cameo from the bench. Then again, he has proven to be equally devastating as a starter. Leinster will certainly agree with that following his try-scoring display against them in the Investec Champions Cup semi-final, where Northampton Saints booked a meeting with Bordeaux-Begles this weekend — a match Pollock is likely to start in.

Fixture

Investec Champions Cup

Northampton

20 - 28

Full-time

Bordeaux

All Stats and Data

After starting at openside flanker in Dublin, the U20 world championship winner shifted to No.8 in the recent victory over Saracens, but Burger does not think either of those is his best position at this stage in his career. While he has little doubt the Saint will eventually be a Test starter, his role should be modified slightly during the early stages of his burgeoning career.

“I like him, he brings something different,” the 2007 World Cup winner said.

“I would love him off the bench for the start of his career for England and the Lions.

“If you pick four loose forwards that do the same role, where’s your impact? Where do you change a game if you need to? Or where do you take a game away from someone?

“He’s so dynamic, he’s almost like having another back on the field. He’s good at the breakdown, but I think his point of difference is how fast he is.

“If you’re chasing a game and the game opens up. You don’t want to label him with anything, but you think how many times Kwagga [Smith] has changed the direction of the game for the Boks. He brings something completely different to what our starters do. We’ve got Siya [Kolisi]. Pieter-Steph [du Toit] and [Jasper] Wiese and No.8 normally and then Kwagga comes on.

“He’s so dynamic on the ball, something completely different. He doesn’t have the stopping power or the grunt of the others, but the way he moves and the energy he brings, that’s why I think, for now at least, you’ve got to involve him in the 23.”

“You don’t want to change what he’s got now. That point of difference, a bit of freedom around the way he plays, he’s got to make a difference.

“When you start at international level rugby, it can be tough, especially at the beginning. It’s an attritional game, do you have the firepower to stick it up to the big boys? Or are you more efficient coming off the bench? There’s no doubt he’s going to start international rugby at some stage.”