Handre Pollard still has a huge role to play for the Springboks going forward.
Flyhalf Handre Pollard is vital to the future success of the Springboks, having underlined that fact with a man-of-the-match performance against the Wallabies in Cape Town at the weekend.
Since the 2023 World Cup, where Pollard played a starring role after only joining the squad during the tournament as an injury replacement (having recovered from an injury himself), he has shown time and again that what is needed by the national team’s goal-kicker is a calm head and accurate kicking boot.
Remember, he didn’t miss a shot at goal in the 2023 World Cup knockout games, converting all 13 of his attempts. And, remember, the Boks won by one point in all three of those knockout games.
So while the Boks are continually looking to evolve their game and play a more attacking style of rugby, and the likes of Manie Libbok and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu fit into that game-plan and have an array of skills, Pollard’s experience and know-what-you’re-going-to-get style at No 10 is something that needs to be treasured.
Place for all three
Of course, there is a place for all three of these skilful No 10s in the Bok set-up and all of them bring something different, but the trick is how best to use them and get the best out of them in the build-up to the 2027 World Cup. All three are so different from one another.
The good thing is there is depth and Bok boss Rassie Erasmus has options.
The Boks, however, will at some stage have to settle on a first-choice flyhalf and there’s no reason why that shouldn’t be Pollard. He still has a number of years to play at the highest level, and although not as flashy as Libbok or Feinberg-Mngomezulu, he is still the team’s “Mr Reliable” who almost always delivers when it’s crunch time.
With the Rugby Championship wide open after two rounds of matches and the Boks seeking at least one win in New Zealand in the next few weeks, expect Erasmus to turn to Pollard to be the team’s general at No 10. He’s definitely the best choice right now.
