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Last-ditch attempts are being made to try to boost the attendance at Ellis Park this weekend, with sharply discounted tickets now on sale for South Africa’s meeting with England. They may succeed in putting a few more bums on seats, but not half as many as would have been the case had Steve Borthwick named Henry Pollock, the eye-catching Northampton flanker, in his starting XV for the opening round of the Nations Championship.
There are certainly plenty locally who cannot wait to see Pollock’s first collision with the likes of Eben Etzebeth, Jasper Wiese or Pieter-Steph du Toit, with those eagerly licking their lips including several hard-nosed former Springboks and a random passerby at England’s team hotel this week. “We had one person come up to him in the hotel and say the South Africans are coming for you,” reported Pollock’s teammate George Furbank. “It was actually a guy who was Congolese. We had just finished watching the football and he came up and said: ‘You’re public enemy No 1 here, mate.’”
Maybe that is another explanation as to why Borthwick feels this is not the moment to promote the effervescent 21-year-old to his starting front line. Instead he has gone for the more experienced Tom Curry and Ben Earl at openside and No 8 respectively, which, depending on your personal attitude to risk, is either entirely understandable given the looming challenge or a tad conservative.
England do not have unlimited away games against top-ranked opposition in which to experiment between now and next year’s World Cup, so, in that context, throwing Pollock in against the Boks would have answered some important questions. As Furbank, back as an England starter for the first time since November 2024, also emphasised, Pollock’s form has been irresistible lately. “He’s such a dangerous ball carrier,” he said. “I don’t think you get too many back rowers who carry like him. He’s a really hard guy to stop.”
But then so are South Africa when they gain a physical stranglehold, and so, off the back of four successive Test defeats, Borthwick has instead gone for the more tried and tested. Beefing up the back-row alongside Curry and Earl will be Ollie Chessum, and at lock there is a return for big George Martin, not seen at Test level since February last year.
It could also be argued that Borthwick has, in effect, picked the two biggest centre options available to him, clearly conscious of what is heading England’s way. That said, England’s selection of Jack van Poortvliet at scrum-half and the return of Furbank and Manny Feyi-Waboso in the back three all chime with Borthwick’s continuing insistence that he wants his side to try to replicate the fast-tempo rugby that almost confounded France in Paris in March.
That 48-46 defeat offered a glimpse of what can happen when England have the courage of their convictions, and Borthwick is keen to see similar intent this time. He believes Furbank can be a vital attacking cog – “Having a second ball player of his quality adds a different dimension … he’s one of the best I’ve seen in identifying space” – and wants his players to back themselves.
Wales play down pay row
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Steve Tandy, the Wales head coach, insists there is “no hangover” from the match fees dispute that blew up on the eve of Wales’ Nations Championship opener against Fiji.
Players failed to fulfil their media obligations on Wednesday as talks took place between the Welsh Rugby Union and the Welsh Rugby Players’ Association to resolve the payment issue for the new competition.
The issue was eventually resolved in the early evening on Wednesday, ensuring Saturday’s clash at the Cardiff City Stadium was not disrupted.
“People have gone through experiences, and nothing’s perfect. It’s just how you deal with those things,” said Tandy, who confirmed he had no part in the negotiations. “I’m just really pleased it’s resolved and the players now can wholeheartedly focus on the game on Saturday.”
Wales show six changes from the side that beat the Barbarians last weekend with the headline name being Louis Rees-Zammit, above, who reverts from full-back to his preferred position on the wing.
Elsewhere, Scotland have handed the No 10 jersey to Tom Jordan in their inaugural Nations Championship opener against Argentina in Cordoba on Saturday.
The versatile New Zealand-born 27-year-old, who can also play at full-back, steps in for Finn Russell as he recovers from a calf injury.
Glasgow’s Kyle Rowe has been named at full-back, with Blair Kinghorn also rested following his appearance last Saturday for Toulouse in their Top 14 final win against Montpellier.
Both Pierre Schoeman and Scott Cummings are set to earn their 50th caps. Edinburgh’s South Africa-born prop Schoeman is joined in the front-row by Ewan Ashman and Elliot Millar Mills, while Glasgow’s Cummings will partner Jonny Gray in the second row, with Edinburgh’s Grant Gilchrist rested. PA Media
Photograph: David Davies/PA
“I think we’ve got a young side that can run … and we’ve got a 23 with five openside flankers. As much as everyone talks about the physical nature of the Springboks side – and they are very physical – they are a fit side. I think we’re going to need to run … we will need to score tries against a very good SA defence.”
There will also inevitably be an onus on England’s scrum to stand firm against a Bok pack containing some formidable hunks of rock. Then, in theory at least, there could be subsequent scope to crank up the pace in the final half hour, with Pollock, Alex Mitchell and Marcus Smith all well capable of thriving in that kind of contest. “I think we’ve got a really good bench that I want to bring on and finish the game really strong,” said Borthwick.
Which raises the intriguing possibility of Pollock materialising in the final quarter to outflank his detractors. Furbank, for one, would not remotely rule it out. “Whenever he comes on he brings a whole heap of energy. We’re hoping he’s going to give us a boost at 50-60 minutes. Every time we’ve spoken about the opposition hating him, he seems to go out and perform. He just seems to get better and better the bigger the stage.”
What a story it would be if the player South Africa loves to hate ultimately has the last laugh.
England team (v South Africa) Furbank (Harlequins); Feyi-Waboso (Exeter); Freeman (Northampton), Atkinson (Gloucester), Murley (Harlequins); F Smith (Northampton), Van Poortvliet (Leicester); Genge (Bristol Bears), George (Saracens, capt), Heyes (Leicester), Coles (Northampton), Martin (Saracens), Chessum (Leicester), T Curry (Sale), Earl (Saracens). Replacements Cowan-Dickie (Sale), Obano (Bath), Opoku-Fordjour (Sale), Ewels (Bath), Pepper (Bath), Pollock (Northampton), Mitchell (Northampton), Smith (Harlequins).
