If ever Andy Farrell was entitled to take the easy option of walking from home to the Aviva on a Saturday in order to cast his eye over putative members of his British & Irish Lions squad, then this Champions Cup semi-final between Leinster and Northampton certainly qualifies.
Ahead of next Thursday’s squad announcement for the expedition to Australia, there appear to be more head-to-heads with a Lions slant than in most Six Nations games, when Farrell was a regular at Irish matches. Besides, unlike the Six Nations, with Sunday’s second Champions Cup semi-final being an all-French affair, from Farrell’s perspective this Leinster-Northampton rematch is literally the only game in town, or any other town, this weekend.
Jamison Gibson-Park and Alex Mitchell already look like the two scrumhalves in the Lions’ Test matchday 23, with this match-up a duel toward deciding the pecking order. Similarly, the opposing wingers James Lowe and Tommy Freeman – who is actually in hotter form having scored 12 tries in his last nine games for Northampton and England − look sure to travel to Australia.
The opposing 22-year-old outhalves, Sam Prendergast (eight caps) and Fin Smith (11 caps), have shot up the rails in such a manner that they look likely inclusions in the Lions squad as well.
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Which still leaves us with perhaps the most intriguing, and certainly most contrasting, match-up in this semi-final with potential Lions overtones − namely Josh van der Flier v Henry Pollock. Admittedly such is the stiff competition among the backrowers, and particularly opensides, with Jac Morgan the most compelling Welsh candidate of all and Scotland’s Rory Darge having his admirers too, not to mention the Currys, Tom and Ben, and Jack Willis in Toulouse − that neither of the sevens on show at the Aviva can be considered probable inclusions.
The 32-year-old Van der Flier, the 2022 World Player of the Year and rejuvenated since the Six Nations, must surely have strengthened his Lions chances by dint of his energetic and dynamic displays in Leinster’s handsome wins over Harlequins and Glasgow.
Whereas this is probably Van der Flier’s last chance to be a Lion, Pollock is not only the potential bolter of all bolters, but at 20, and if he stays healthy, he could still have three more opportunities to be a Lions tourist by the time he reaches Van der Flier’s age.
Whereas Van der Flier is exceedingly respectful, good-humoured and modest (described by team-mates as an ideal son-in-law), Pollock oozes self-confidence and self-belief, without even a trace of modesty it seems.
Pollock is very different and a huge boost for English rugby at a time when they need a new poster boy. Most opponents seem to take an instant dislike to Pollock, perhaps to save time. He seems to enjoy goading the opposition when poised to touch down for a try by biding his time before doing so.
Excellent over the ball as an authentic openside, for the most part Pollock’s extraordinary pace, athleticism and ‘smell’ for the game is used as a kind of roving attacker and support player − a free hand for a free spirit.
He revels in this and with his acceleration and ability to veer either way without losing pace, is capable of exceptional things on the pitch. In 20 games this season, starting just 12 of them, Pollock has scored 10 tries, including two on his English Test debut off the bench against Wales in the Principality Stadium, and five in five Champions Cup starts.
Against Sale this season, he was in the backfield when his fullback gathered a long exit kick and passed infield to Pollock on halfway. He had the whole Sale team in front of him, but with his acceleration, footwork, a fend and veering to his right, he sliced through three would-be tacklers, then chipped the last defender, ran on, gathered and scored.
So annoyed was one of the Sale players by this 20-year-old scoring such an impudent try that he attempted to grab Pollock when he bounced to his feet, as if to say “you can’t do that”.
But Pollock can do extraordinary things. He could probably play fullback, or on the wing, or in midfield, as well as seven or number eight. He looks the real deal, like he could be a thorn in opposing sides for a long time to come and his match-up with Van der Flier will be one of this game’s many fascinating sub-plots.
