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Former Springboks captain Victor Matfield questioned the hype surrounding Henry Pollock after the game England the back-row-turned-wing grabbed the headlines once again with two tries against Australia during the weekend.
Pollock was introduced at half-time as England 45-22 Nations Championship victory at the Allianz Stadium in Twickenham after Immanuel Feyi-Waboso was forced out with a series-ending ankle injury but was unusually deployed on the wing by Steve Borthwick.
The 21-year-old adapted quickly, scoring twice as England pulled away in the second half to register their highest ever points total against the Wallabies and continue Pollock’s remarkable rise to Test rugby.
His performances and exuberant celebrations have already made him one of the most recognizable figures in Borthwick’s squad, although his profile continues to divide opinion given that he remains predominantly an impact player for England rather than a regular starter.
That debate was launched on Rugby Rivals podcast, where former Bok lock Matfield admitted he still doesn’t understand the attention surrounding Pollock, while All black people the great John Kirwan argued that England was crying out for just such a personality.
“I know there’s a lot of hype around him, but I still can’t understand it,” Matfield said.
“I mean he ran over with an open try line and it’s all about him. He should go back to his inside backs who did all the work, the forwards who gave you the ball on the front foot.”
“I just don’t understand his celebrations.”
Kirwan offered a different interpretation of Pollock’s complaint.
“I think England need a superstar, mate. I think that’s the main problem,” he said.
“When you think about that England side, how many players get on their feet? Whether you like him or not, I think he’s a superstar.”
Matfield, however, questioned whether Pollock can already guarantee superstar status while being left out of England’s starting XV, with 13 of his 14 appearances so far coming from the bench.
“I just want to still ask myself: a superstar? How can you be a superstar if you don’t even start for your country, playing off the bench? You don’t get into the starting line-up.”
Kirwan replied: “The public decide who they like and who they don’t like. For me, the public decide and I just think the public want a superstar in that England side.”
“Is he a superstar from a rugby point of view? You can talk about that and I think that’s another discussion, but I think the crowd and the press are fascinated by him.”