ENTER POLLARD
World Cup-winning fly-half set to join Leicester
So the rumours are true and Leicester look set to sign a World Cup-winning fly-half from South Africa.
Just as Joel Stransky joined in the wake of the Springboks’ iconic triumph in 1995, Handre Pollard will make the trip to Leicestershire (via Montpellier) and hopefully find surroundings as agreeable.
A word of warning though. It’s unlikely that Leicester fans will see much of Pollard before this time next year, what with the Boks’ Rugby Championship and Autumn commitments. But Tigers are not spending what they offered to spend on Ford (around £600,000 pa from what I am told) on the 27 year-old from the Western Cape, for him to play every single weekend.
They will see Pollard as probably the only fly-half available who could fill Ford’s boots and it’s a sign of Tigers’ improved recruitment that they have their man. No doubt Aled Walters’s WhatsApp calls have been more numerous in recent weeks..
Pollard “can take Leicester higher”
Sources in the know are still surprised though that Pollard has opted for the East Midlands compared to another season on the South of France. But he will fit right into how Steve Borthwick and his Merry Men in Green want to play the game.
One observer of events summed up Pollard - brought up at the same school as Jean De Villiers - as “probably the only player who can kick Tigers on from 10 after Ford goes and I wasn’t sure they could get him.”
While he will play at 10, he brings the gnarly, physical edge that so many of the South Africans have brought to Welford Road and is no slouch defensively. He is far from unused to playing in the Northern Hemisphere, with his caps for South Africa in November. But with his kicking game, he ought to be able to adapt to the UK climate and conditions relatively swiftly.
With the good hands and vision he undoubtedly has, Leicester will hope he can exploit the quick ball he has enjoyed in Bok colours over the last couple of years. With the familiar face of Walters managing his workload - and remember these Boks end up playing 12 months a year - he may be confident of avoiding a similar start to his time in Montpellier, when he suffered a serious knee injury a handful of games in.
How he adapts to what English audiences expect of their fly-half will be interesting but there will be calmer feelings all round amid minds unsettled by the loss of Ford.
What are your thoughts on Pollard’ imminent arrival?
ALL HAIL KING COLE
I can’t help stealing this shot from the Mercury (sorry Bobby) cause it genuinely makes me smile. When did Dan Cole first decide to go for the cue ball look?
But should he be selected for this weekend, it will be Cole’s 200th Premiership game since he first made his debut over 14 years ago now.
Lovely write-up of quotes from the other week from Bobby Bridge here. The biggest crowd seen at Welford Road for some time is a fitting backdrop for such a popular figure.
BACK WITH A BANG
The Premiership table is starting to take some shape now with Harlequins the visitors this Sunday, in one of the most eagerly awaited games seen at Welford Road for some months.
Judging by reported ticket sales, Leicester’s finance team are looking forward to this as much as anybody - one of only two remaining home games left in the calendar year. We will see if it proves to be a sellout but a gate bigger than 20,000 would only be the third at Welford Road since the summer of 2019.
That last sellout? Northampton in April 2018…
Whatever happens to Saracens at Exeter on Saturday, Leicester will still be top of the tree entering the Christmas build-up. But something tells me that Tigers have little to fear from Harlequins and have exactly the gameplan to challenge the champions.
Fine players no doubt will make the trip from South West London but Leicester have more muscle in so many more departments. If Quins don’t get parity up front, none of the fancy dan moves will come to pass.
Tigers will doubtless be more cautious but assuming there are no unexpected injury headlines to come on Friday, I could see them winning with a bit to spare - and that might come as a shock to some of the London press. It would certainly be a statement.
Enjoy your week and see you soon.
Chris
When I read the headline I thought we had signed “Su Pollard”. A return to the holiday camp signings of yesteryear.
But no. I feel this signing represents a sea change in recruitment. Whatever you think of his injury record or time in Montpellier he’s a class act and if he has turned down telephone numbers in Japan to come to us, that says something. Maybe the Japanese wanted him to prioritise them over SA. Who can tell
Really underwhelmed by the prospect of Pollard. I gather that Montpellier didn’t offer him a new contract ‘because he failed to make the desired impact’. Hardly a ringing endorsement, but obviously good enough for us?!!