Handre Pollard’s injury could clip Boks’ wings

Handre Pollard’s lack of game time in the buildup to the World Cup has evolved from a niggle to a serious issue for the Springboks’ hopes of defending their title in France, writes Dylan Jack. 

What if I told you that Pollard and Elton Jantjies made their most recent appearances for the Springboks in the same game?

The saying in sport is that a shifting timeline is never a good thing. With this in mind, there is real cause for concern around South Africa’s 2019 World Cup general.

When it was first confirmed that Pollard had suffered a calf injury while in action for the Leicester Tigers, the hope was that he would return, at the latest, in time for the final Rugby Championship home game against Argentina at Ellis Park.

Only, the most recent news to come through is that Pollard has yet to run at full pace, let alone start full contact training, and he is still involved on the sidelines with the Boks’ physiotherapist.

Handre Pollard’s lack of game time in the buildup to the World Cup has evolved from a niggle to a serious issue for the Springboks’ hopes of defending their title in France, writes @dylmjack.https://t.co/qCGK7510Bb

— SA Rugby magazine (@SARugbymag) August 7, 2023

He could miss the remaining two warm-up matches against Wales in Cardiff and New Zealand at Twickenham, meaning that he won’t be ready for the World Cup opener against Scotland.

In this event, Pollard would go into the World Cup with no competitive games in four months. He would also sit out one of the decisive games in Pool B, which includes Six Nations champions Ireland.

To give them some credit, the Springboks have tried to prepare for this eventuality.

Damian Willemse was given six Tests as the starting No 10 in 2022 and was particularly impressive in the historic victory over the Wallabies in Sydney and the upset of England at Twickenham, nailing two crucial drop goals in the latter.

Manie Libbok has also recently emerged as a starting option, donning the No 10 in both games against Argentina this year, as well as the demolition of the Wallabies at Loftus Versfeld in the Rugby Championship opener.

However, Pollard’s absence could present the Springboks with a speedbump that could take the wheels off of their World Cup campaign. The man who racked up 69 points to end as top-scorer in Japan 2019 has not represented the Boks since last August.

When he last wore the green and gold, the Springboks were still transitioning from the kick-heavy game plan that won the Webb Ellis Cup in 2019, to the more dynamic and fluid attack that was on full display at Loftus this year.

It would be a big ask, even for a player with Pollard’s experience, for him to hit full form and rhythm in front of goal in the middle of rugby’s biggest tournament. There is also the question about his injury record, which has been ugly since 2019.

If it was any other player in Pollard’s position, there would be no question that he would be left out of the 33-player squad for France 2023. The fact that he is even being considered, speaks to how vital he still is to Rassie Erasmus and Jacques Nienaber’s plans for the campaign.

As for the alternatives, it’s quite clear that the Springboks don’t fully trust Willemse to run the game plan, despite the amount of time he has been given. When he does start at flyhalf, the talented utility back often drifts into the wider channels and allows veteran fullback Willie le Roux to play at first receiver.

Willemse also rarely kicks at goal when he starts, with Faf de Klerk and even wing Cheslin Kolbe the preferred options when Pollard isn’t available.

It appears that Libbok would go into the World Cup as the starting No 10. However, he would do so with a maximum of five Test starts, as he was left out of the squad for the majority of 2022 for the now-retired Frans Steyn, whose hopes for a fourth World Cup tournament were derailed by injury.

The Springboks have always banked on Pollard’s availability for the World Cup and it could be that the talk coming from the camp is mind games. Even if that is so, it’s not promising for South Africa that the Boks’ hopes of retaining world champion status is in the hands of an injury-cursed player, a player they don’t fully trust at No 10 or one that just hasn’t started enough Tests.