Handre Pollard was in top form to help lead the Springboks to a win over the Wallabies, and will likely play a huge role on their tour of New Zealand.
Springbok flyhalf general Handre Pollard had ice in his veins once again as his unerring boot led his side to a 30-22 bounce back win over the Wallabies at the Cape Town Stadium on Saturday.
Pollard wasn’t in the match 23 for their opening Rugby Championship loss at Ellis Park a week earlier, and his calmness under pressure and general game management were sorely missed.
Those traits, however, were on full display in Cape Town, with him producing a man-of-the-match performance, that included him contributing 15 points thanks to a flawless kicking performance as he nailed all six shots at goal.
Speaking after the match, Pollard said that it was all about the win for the team, and not about his personal achievements in the game, that mattered. He added he was also impressed with how other players have been stepping up, including some of the youngsters.
“A lot of guys played really well, and I know they have to select one player [to be man of the match], but for me it was only about the win,” explained Pollard.
“It was a tough week after Ellis Park, to be honest, and rightfully so. We were disappointed with the result. It was tough balancing the emotions with the tactics for the second Test. Towards the end of the week, we hit that sweet spot.
“We put the (first) game behind us after taking plenty of learnings from it within the group. You’d be surprised. Yes, there are senior guys leading, but there are also a lot of young guys stepping up with leadership and knowledge. It was a collective effort.”
New Zealand tour
The Springboks now head down to New Zealand for what could be a defining two-game tour in the Rugby Championship, with them likely needing to at least win one game if they are to stay in the hunt to defend the title.
Added to that will be the task of trying to win at the All Blacks’ fortress, Eden Park, where the Boks haven’t won since 1937.
If Pollard plays, as expected, and they managed to achieve that, it would be another milestone to add to his incredibly long list of achievements, but the 31-year-old claimed that just playing for the national side is reward enough.
“It is never about trophies, medals and awards. You just want to play for South Africa. That is the main thing,” said Pollard.
“If you play one Test it is a privilege. If you play a few years like I have it is just unbelievable and when you get older you appreciate it more and more because you know the end is coming closer.
“This is such an unbelievable group of men, coaches and management, you just want to be a part of it as long as you possibly can. For that you have to work hard and play well. For us it is about making South Africa proud and making the Springboks the best team in the world.”
