South Africa outhalf Handrè Pollard exudes a smooth elegance, articulate and thoughtful; he is an engaging interviewee with a line in dry humour and self-deprecation.
A former Under-20 world player of the year in his third year on the team, he’s won two World Cups and a Lions series, has captained his country, and is a place-kicker of renown. On Saturday the 30-year-old Leicester Tigers pivot returns to Loftus Versfeld, his home for seven years with the Bulls, where he’ll hope to guide the Springboks to a victory over their recent nemesis, Ireland.
A wistful look crept across his face for a brief moment when he was asked about returning to his spiritual home in South Africa. He said: “It’s lovely being back at Loftus, it’s a special place and I keep it close to my heart. I spent seven good years at the Bulls here and I love playing here. It’s one of the great stadiums in the world to play. It’s sold out, it’s going to be a special atmosphere.
“We definitely can’t just rock up and expect to win. Home-ground advantage will depend on how much brandy the fans drink outside before the game. We are really looking forward to it because it’s great to be back home.
“Loftus is a special place with a special vibe, and it will be pretty hostile, which we enjoy. But that doesn’t mean we automatically get the ‘W’. We are going to have to go out and earn it.
“The confidence in the group is good. We’ve been training hard and preparing well. When it comes to beating Ireland, of course we want to break that streak, but we’re not driven by that and we’re not putting too much focus on it.
“We will speak about that aspect more on Friday. For now, though the focus has been on the tactical and technical stuff in order to put ourselves in a position to win a rugby match.”
Pollard didn’t play in South Africa’s World Cup defeat to Ireland but was measured in how he reflected on a game of missed chances, off the tee and in a fraught end-game. “The goal-kicking is the goal-kicking, which is a separate part of the game.
“We have to focus on playing well and giving ourselves opportunities. If we don’t do that, there won’t be any kicks for goal anyway. We know the opportunities are there – they were there in Paris that day as well – we have to be more composed and try to get something out of every 22 entry we get.
“There aren’t going to be a lot. They will be few and far between for both teams so when you get that shot you have to be clinical.”
The Springboks’ new backs coach Tony Brown spoke earlier in the week about encouraging Pollard to revert to the 2014 version, an outhalf who played on the gainline, with a nuanced range of passing and an eye for a gap.
Pollard hadn’t seen the comments. He smiled: “It sounds good. I really enjoy Tony. He is a breath of fresh air. We were very privileged to have Felix [Jones] in the past, but Tony thinks about the game a bit differently and if that means playing more on the gainline, that’s great. But we have our plans for this weekend.”
He may have retired from rugby, but Johnny Sexton’s name is never far from any conversation with regard to recent matches between the team. Pollard made a brief reference but preferred to talk about the player he’ll oppose on Saturday, Munster’s Jack Crowley. He was generous in his appraisal. “Johnny [Sexton] was massive for them, but Crowley has been very good.
“They needed somebody to fill that role and he has stepped up. He is someone we have looked closely at this week. He controls the game and takes the ball to the line well, which makes him a big threat. We will try to look after him as best we can. He has filled that [Sexton] gap very well.”
[ Gordon D’Arcy: Ireland to expect the unexpected in South AfricaOpens in new window ]
The Springbok outhalf is well versed with many of the Ireland team, some of whom he has been familiar with since under-20 days, which was when he first came across Tadhg Beirne, Tadhg Furlong, Josh van der Flier and Garry Ringrose.
Of more recent vintage he played for the Tigers against Leinster in the Champions Cup and was asked how Ireland differed to the European finalists, given that they contributed so many players to Farrell’s team. Pollard shook his head: “Leinster is a great club, but Leinster is not Ireland. You’ve got to understand that. When those guys play for their country, they go up another level. They also get the best players in the country to complement that Leinster group.
“The big thing is that they have their systems and structures in place, and they play the game the way they want to play it, but the physicality goes to another level when you play Ireland as opposed to Leinster. And that’s the same with us when we play for the Boks.”
As a final sentiment it whets the appetite for what lies ahead.
- Sign up for push alerts and have the best news, analysis and comment delivered directly to your phone
- Join The Irish Times on WhatsApp and stay up to date
- Listen to our Inside Politics podcast for the best political chat and analysis
