Henry Pollock is potentially the breakout star of this Lions tour and makes his debut from the bench against Argentina
You’d be forgiven for thinking Henry Pollock was born in Bundaberg rather than Banbury, because in many ways he is a prodigious, swashbuckling talent straight from Aussie central casting.
Swaggering confidence and an unstinting self-belief beyond his years combine with a natural flair for getting under the skin of his opponents. He even has the makings of a very strong mullet and is every bit the viral baller – the sort you love to play for you but hate to play against. Think David Campese, but with muscles.
Pollock’s journey from schoolboy rugby to becoming the youngest forward to play for the British & Irish Lions since 1968 may seem meteoric – he’s played barely 40 games at senior level – but it comes as no surprise to him or anyone who knows him.
“It’s been mad, the last year’s just come so fast,” he said.
“It’s been crazy and I’m just trying to enjoy every moment of it, take it all in, and just enjoy rugby and enjoy the moment.
“I’ve got a great family unit around me and I always look to them and friends whenever I’m on my own or in a dark space.
“I’m just working hard and giving everything to my rugby now, no distractions. I’m trying to put more muscle on, working on attack and defence, and across my whole game. I’m definitely not the finished article, so there’s definitely more to come.
“I’m here to play Test rugby, that’s what I’m pushing for, but I’m also trying to enjoy the journey and just take in all the moments that come with being a Lion.”
Those who played a part in Pollock’s journey universally speak of his single-mindedness to improve, pushing himself in every training session, beyond the limits of most team-mates. His strength and conditioning coach at Northampton, Jason Sivil, has witnessed the 20-year-old’s hard work with awe, while some fans have described him as a “freak”.
He has bulked up to over 100kg and can squat 230kg for three reps and bench press 140kg. His aerobic capacity means he can cover the lung-burning ‘broncho’ – a 1200-metre shuttle run dreaded at clubs up and down the country – in just four minutes and 25 seconds.
“He always wants more, always wants another challenge. All Henry wants to do is push himself further and harder,” said Sivil.
Pollock’s memories of the last Lions tour to Australia in 2013 are sketchy – though in fairness, he’d only just started playing for the minis at Buckingham Swans, where his first coach, Nick Glister, was quick to identify his raw promise.
“I just remember how strong he was, and super-fit too,” he recalls. “He was confident, a bit cheeky and very local, but a great team-mate. You could see he was a natural leader.”
Former Northampton player Grant Seely helped take Pollock’s game to the next level at rugby institution Stowe School, while he joined the academy at Saints in his early teens, crediting coach Will Parkin as his biggest influence.
However, it wasn’t until his Sixth Form that those guiding his career realised his potential to become a generational player for club, country and – though perhaps a little quicker than even they thought – the Lions.
Pollock, like the Wallabies’ brilliant rugby league convert Joseph Sua’ali’i, will arrive in Australia as one of the most talked-about players in the game, such has been his rapid ascent. Some might label him a ‘bolter’ – but in truth, when his name was revealed to fans by Andy Farrell at London’s O2, there were universal nods of approval and not a single arched eyebrow of surprise.
In the last 12 months, he has won the Under-20 World Cup and scored two tries on his England debut against Wales, quickly glossing over the fact that, with two Scottish parents, he grew up preferring a thistle to a rose.
He has forced his way into Farrell’s selection thoughts not just on the strength of his personality, but the power of his play.
Players may be tracked to the inch by their GPS data, but Pollock’s game is about more than just those cold, hard metrics – which is perhaps why Maro Itoje, when asked to describe him in one word, couldn’t decide between ‘annoying’ and ‘pest’, while being quick to add it was meant as a compliment.
“I’m going to be the nuisance, I’m going to get up in your face because I’m at my best when I’m confrontational, that’s just key to my game,” adds Pollock.
“I’m aggressive – it’s been that way since my brother and I were in the back garden and we both liked to win. I’m not looking for trouble, but I’m not shying away from it either. I’m still grafting and still really learning my game.”
And this is more than just fighting talk, as anyone among the 6,000 at the Stoop for his England A debut last November will testify.
Towering Aussie flanker Tom Hooper had given the then-teenager a couple of cheeky digs in an attempt to assert some authority, and Pollock wasn’t having it.
Despite the height, weight, age and experience difference, he stood up to the Exeter-bound blindside flanker, hurling his scrum cap across the pitch as a scuffle ensued. Following a stern word from the referee, Pollock jogged back to his team-mates with a broad grin – mission accomplished.
And then there are the celebrations: the basketball lob, or now-trademark ‘pulse’ – two fingers held to the neck as if to check for signs of life.
Australian rugby has a proud history of showmen, including current star Nick Frost, arguably the Wallabies’ most athletically gifted lock forward since the great John Eales. Pollock might be from half a world away, but he is cut from similar cloth.
Hard work has got Pollock to this point, but genetics have helped too – he credits his mum, Hester, with instilling his love of sport, with swimming and triathlon taking equal focus alongside rugby in his early teens.
“My brother, sister and I just all lived for sports – there was no pressure on us, we just played without fear or commitment,” he added.
Of course, being the youngest tourist brings additional responsibilities. Pollock will have sole guardianship of the stuffed toy Lion, aptly named ‘BIL’, and there are serious consequences should it go missing – not easy when more experienced hands have been known to steal and hide him at every available opportunity.
“I’m thinking of sewing an AirTag in him,” joked Pollock – a very Gen Z solution to a tradition that started in 1950, with now-captain Itoje taking the role eight years ago in New Zealand, a challenge he jokingly described as more stressful than battling the All Blacks.
Pollock isn’t sure he’s going to get much support from Northampton team-mates Tommy Freeman, Alex Mitchell and Fin Smith in his quest to keep ‘BIL’ safe, but there is no doubt about the tight bond between the four Saints.
“It’s so nice to have the boys with me – they’re some of my best mates,” he added. “It’s so special to do this with them. They’re amazing players and they deserve this. I’m just so happy for them and so happy to be there with their journey, and just looking forward to seeing them rip in.”
Rip in? He just might be an Aussie after all.
