LONG READ ‘In proving what an asset he is to the England bench, Pollock has made starting Tests a good deal harder for himself’

Eddie Hearn will be wearing a Cheshire cat grin after the most recent deluge of Henry Pollock headlines.

Pollock’s unerring ability to command attention and feed his growing profile whatever the circumstances must make it feel to Hearn that he has made a smart capture.

He might not have known too much about rugby union when he dipped his toe in and signed up Pollock to his Matchroom Talent Agency, but he certainly knows about star quality and Pollock self-evidently has that in spades.

He made Pollock his first acquisition in rugby because he saw in the bleached blond back-row a personality that could transcend his sport. Lo and behold, the 21-year-old keeps on doing that.

Pollock’s two tries, employed as an emergency wing against Australia at Allianz Stadium, only served to reinforce his ability to operate outside the game’s usual tramlines.

When Manny Feyi-Waboso went down, there was no question of simply being a stop-gap, of making up the numbers. Instead Pollock seized the opportunity to dominate the stage.

It was typical Pollock, and an arresting contribution, but maybe not quite as beneficial to the grand plan than he and Hearn might hope.

To borrow from a world with which Hearn is a lot more familiar, the career blueprint for Pollock would involve him being top of the bill with England, not on the undercard.

This autumn could have been Pollock’s moment to have persuaded Borthwick of his value in the frontline but the danger is his success as an emergency wing has pigeon-holed him further as an essential member of the back-up crew.

In proving to Steve Borthwick that his hunch that he had a forward who could double up as a wing was spot on, Pollock has just copper-bottomed his importance as bench cover.

The England head coach was already leaning heavily in that direction anyway. Only one of Pollock’s 14 caps so far has come as a starter.

Pollock might have thought he would be the next cab on the rank when Tom Curry was ruled out of the side to play the Wallabies, but instead it was his Curry’s twin Ben who was called up in his place to start.

This autumn could have been Pollock’s moment to have persuaded Borthwick of his value in the frontline – he is a Lions tourist after all – but the danger is that his success as an emergency wing has pigeon-holed him further as an essential member of the back-up crew. Versatility can be a curse as well as a blessing.

The 6-2 ‘Pom squad’ split was so effective at the Allianz Stadium that the England coach must be drawn towards employing it again when the next big challenge arrives against the All Blacks a week on Saturday. The impact made by the likes of Ellis Genge and George Martin off the bench kept Australia firmly on the back foot.

He knows now that he can rely on Pollock as a winger if needed during the course of a match.

Of course, just because Pollock has pulled off the backline trick once does not mean it will always work out. Other opposition might well be smarter in terms of how they might test out a rookie wing. Australia didn’t send a single high ball his way on Saturday.

Pollock owed a debt of gratitude too to George Furbank and Henry Slade, in steering him around the field as he did not have the ingrained defensive awareness that career wings call upon.

Toss Pollock a paintbrush and put him in front of an easel and he would most likely manage to convince himself he is the next Van Gogh.

He did, though, prove – with his speed and ball skills – that he can do a very passable impression of the real thing if required.

The confidence with which Pollock embraces every new challenge thrown his way is quite something.

Toss him a paintbrush and put him in front of an easel and he would most likely manage to convince himself he is the next Van Gogh.

Hand him some flour, sugar, butter and eggs and he will fancy himself to win Bake Off.

If the showboating is the less appealing side of that boundless self-assurance, then perhaps that is the price which has to be paid. England have a special individual on their hands.

And, in the same way as Andre Esterhuizen’s ability to play a hybrid forward/back role has helped South Africa, England now have similar positional fluidity. As well as Pollock to cover the wing, Ben Earl is capable of covering centre.

The fact that Earl has been moved as a back-row starter mid-match should offer some hope to Pollock that he too might be considered in a similar vein down the line but for the foreseeable future it seems like he will be bracketed as a bench man.

Patience at the start of an international career is often required. Jamie George’s first 18 caps came off the bench. Earl’s first 15 did likewise.

And gone are the days when a replacement role meant no involvement at all. The Bath hooker Graham Dawe sat kicking his heels unused, on the England bench, 34 times in the late 1980s and early 90s. But dress up the replacements as finishers or impact players all you like, everyone still wants to start.

In the end the only solution will be for him to make an unanswerable case to Borthwick that he can bring so much influence on a game over 80 minutes he has to start.

It may be that Borthwick gives Pollock a run against Japan this weekend. With Tom Curry out of the rest of the Nations Championship and Ollie Chessum missing this week, there are back-row vacancies to fill. But were that to happen, it should not be mistaken as a signpost to the future.

The England head coach has Pollock classified as a box office super-sub, deploying his pace and infectious energy – whether as a forward or back – against tiring opposition. It may make sense from a strategic point of view, but that does not make it any easier for the player.

Pollock looks like he is going to have just bide his time.

In the end the only solution will be for him to make an unanswerable case to Borthwick that he can bring so much influence on a game over 80 minutes he has to start.

The irony is, in proving what an asset he is to the bench at the weekend, he has made doing so a good deal harder for himself.