Just as Handre Pollard regarded sure to be obtainable for the Boks’ end-of-year tour, there’s now a renewed damage concern over the flyhalf.
The World Cup-winning star made his highly-anticipated return to motion after recovering from a knee damage this previous weekend, briefly that includes off the bench for English membership Leicester Tigers in opposition to Saracens, however he then limped off simply 27 minutes into his Leicester debut.
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It’s not but clear whether or not it was only a precautionary measure, but it surely’s comprehensible that there’s now renewed concern over the potential of Pollard having returned to motion too quickly.
On the newest episode of ‘The Rugby Pod’, former Scotland and Leicester ahead Jim Hamilton made a collection of unusual feedback, which ranged from Pollard being on the “back end” of his profession, to his perception that he wasn’t a great match for the Tigers, earlier than backtracking to then say the 28-year-old could also be in his “prime”.
“Rumours and what you were hearing was he was a long way away from being fit and the next thing he is playing… Maybe there were 750,000 [pounds] reasons why he wanted to be fit. I am not being horrible but you saw the injury, he came off, I heard slightly different rumours. He knows better than anyone how far away he is or was and he clearly felt he was right to go [and play]. I heard he wasn’t going to be fit until January…
“I just don’t see him as a decent fit for Leicester in a like for like [after] losing George Ford. The way Leicester want to play you could say and argue the fact that Handre Pollard fits that, but I just don’t know why they have gone out and signed a South African 10 at the back end of his career when there are other players that you could potentially look at.”
Show host and former England international Andy Goode then reminded Hamilton that Pollard was actually solely 28-years-old.
“Is he 28? He’s in his prime … I know but I feel like he is older. He didn’t play loads at Montpellier, he didn’t set the world alight in the Top 14 and, I say this with all due respect, he is effectively a marquee player. He is Leicester’s marquee player and that is the level we are talking about. I’m not talking about a £200,000 player coming in and not setting the world alight.
“There is no disrespect to Handre Pollard. I love the bloke. He is a 10-out-of-10-looking bloke and I’m sure he is a lovely guy but I just feel like Leicester rushed the gun a little bit in trying to sign a top-class 10 who I don’t necessarily think fits.”
Meanwhile, Bok coach Jacques Nienaber had lately instructed it was unlikely that Pollard can be obtainable for the Boks’ upcoming end-of-year tour, however this previous month there was a constructive replace after the flyhalf underwent additional assessments at English membership, the Leicester Tigers.
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It’s already been confirmed that Pollard didn’t undergo a recurrence of an ACL rupture that he suffered throughout his time enjoying in France.
Pollard’s expertise was missed by the Boks
After Pollard was injured, Damian Willemse shifted to flyhalf earlier than struggling a concussion that left the Boks ready the place they’d little possibility however to show to Frans Steyn, who final weekend began his first Test at 10 since 2008.
Meanwhile, it was lately confirmed that the Boks’ World Cup-winning lock RG Snyman will nonetheless be unavailable for the primary few rounds of the brand new URC season, but it surely now seems that his absence might prolong in direction of the tip of the 12 months.
Snyman arrived in Ireland in May 2020 to hitch Munster following the cancellation of the rest of the 2019–20 Japan Top League because of Covid-19. The Bok lock then made his debut for Munster of their 27–25 defeat in opposition to Leinster on 22 August 2020, although his first look for the province lasted solely seven minutes after he suffered a torn ACL throughout a lineout.
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It was the beginning of loads of difficult occasions to return for Snyman, who has been beset with accidents all through his first stint with Munster, whereas he was additionally dramatically concerned in a firepit accident final 12 months, with the towering second rower struggling extreme burns.
Towards the tip of final 12 months, highly effective lock underwent knee surgical procedure after re-rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his left knee, with Snyman having managed simply 4 appearances in two years for Munster, whereas he has largely been unavailable to the Springboks.
In what gave the impression to be some encouraging information on the damage entrance, although, Munster lately confirmed there are constructive indicators by way of his restoration. Yet, the newest replace is just not so constructive, and it seems extremely unlikely that Snyman can be obtainable for the Boks or his membership any time quickly.
“He’s not quite there yet,” Munster head coach Graham Rowntree commented. “He’s had a very difficult year and we’re not pushing him. All I can say at this point, for the foreseeable, he’s not quite ready yet.”
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TOP 10 IN THE LATEST WORLD RUGBY RANKINGS:
1. Ireland – 90.03
2. France – 89.41
3. South Africa – 89.00
4. New Zealand – 87.30
5. England – 86.25
6. Scotland – 81.93
7. Wales – 81.28
8. Argentina – 81.21
9. Australia – 80.65
10. Japan – 77.74
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