Tom Wright on the Brumbies 'rocket' fuelling Billy Pollard's Wallabies rise

Wallabies hooker Billy Pollard is finding a rich vein of form in 2025 and contributing handsomely to Australia’s rise back through the global ranks. Brumbies teammate Tom Wright credited the youngster’s ascension, in part, to a “rocket” earlier in the year.

The 23-year-old began the international season as a reserve behind Matt Faessler and Dave Porecki, but has started the last six Tests while enjoying a long-awaited period of fine health.

Pollard scored 11 tries in 15 Super Rugby Pacific games in 2025, a tally that placed him second only to Wallaby teammate Carlo Tizzano on the season, and helped the Brumbies make another semi-final berth.

Canberra teammate Wright, who is sidelined after an ACL tear at the beginning of the Rugby Championship, had a tongue-in-cheek review of the hooker’s form.

“He would have been the first to tell you how good he’s going,” Wright grinned on the Kick Offs and Kick Ons show.

“I saw it was his first Test try on the weekend. I haven’t spoken to him since the game, but I’m sure we’ll hear plenty about that, and about how he’s carrying either Taniela (Tupou) or Allan (Alaalatoa) and (James) Slipper and (Angus) Bell, and how he’s just doing everything for the team at the minute.

“But, he probably got a rocket a bit earlier this year at Brumbyland, which was good. He had to start taking it a bit more seriously because he’s got so much potential.

“We saw him carve up on a couple of little runs, in a bit more broken play on the weekend. Bill has had that ability for ages, but he hasn’t had much luck in his early career with a couple of niggles.

“But I was stoked for him. First try, it’s a tough place to go and play. It put us back in the contest a bit. He’s worked pretty hard on his set piece to be fair, it’s the number one thing we rip into him about.”

While Wright is ruled out of competition for the remainder of the year, he said his recovery was going well and that his gold No.15 jersey was in safe hands.

Andrew Kellaway was coach Joe Schmidt’s first call to replace the star fullback, but an injury to him before the weekend’s Eden Park Test saw selectors pivot to young sensation Max Jorgensen. The 21-year-old has started his professional career on the wing, but has expressed a desire to make the fullback role his own.

“Jorgo’s pretty exceptional, I think he’ll be in the Test arena for a while, regardless of what position he’s playing,” Wright said of the speedster’s first game at 15.

“Hard luck in your first game (at fullback) to get limited ball. The All Blacks had it on a string early. Beauden (Barrett) made a couple of contestables just trying to bring him forward. But I thought he did well considering the lack of ball that we were able to move around.

“I think he’ll be better for it. You learn hard when you get tossed in the deep end. He’ll be better for having the run, but he was just as disappointed as the rest of the guys.”