Handre Pollard believes the South African teams will take the European Champions and Challenge Cups to “a completely different level”.
Pollard’s former crew, the Bulls, will be part of the Stormers and the Sharks in collaborating in Europe’s elite occasion for the primary time this weekend.
They certified via ending within the high eight within the URC final season, with the Stormers occurring to win the title, beating the Bulls within the last.
Those two sides are at the moment third and second respectively within the URC standings after the opening 9 rounds of matches, with the Lions — who’re within the second-tier European Challenge Cup — occupying fifth spot.
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Rugby World Cup successful flyhalf Pollard, who joined English champions Leicester from French champions Montpellier in the summertime, is satisfied having the South African sides in Europe is a constructive step ahead.
“I understand completely some people are like ‘What are they doing here?‘,” the 28-year-old Pollard stated to the offical Springboks web site.
“But I think, after a year or two, it’ll really benefit the competition. It [the inclusion of South African franchises] took the URC to a completely different level and I honestly believe it’ll be the same with the Champions Cup,” he defined.
Pollard defined that as a result of the Champions and Challenge Cups are extra physicality demanding than home leagues, the South Africans sides could have a bonus earlier than of their bodily model of play.
“The South African teams will bring a great new flavour to the competition. They have been playing a really nice, attacking brand of rugby in the URC, while the physicality is the difference between the top four or five teams in the Champions Cup. It’s bred into us, so that part of the game is pretty set.”
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South African teams should improvise to carry out in Europe — Pollard
He added that the Bulls, Stormers and Sharks could have to enhance their tactical strategy to the sport so as to compete constantly with the perfect of the perfect that Europe has to supply. In saying that, Pollard feels that international teams will wrestle with the South African climate circumstances, particularly in the summertime time.
Pollard additionally believes that rugby mad native followers will love the Champions Cup as a product as a result of it’s totally different from the rugby South Africans are used to.
“The clubs in South Africa will have to become smarter tactically to compete with the top teams in Europe. It might take them a couple of years to find their feet, because it’s so different, but I think it’ll be great. People will enjoy it.”
“The weather is going to play a role. Going to South Africa in January, it’s going to be hot, humid, and tough, and then the next week you come up here in the snow! It’s going to be very interesting to see how the teams can adjust.”
The 65-times capped Pollard says being concerned in European Cup competitors can be an excellent expertise for gamers in his homeland.
“Seven, eight years ago, we were saying to ourselves that the Champions Cup is so awesome and we wished we were playing in it,” he stated.
“I used to be saying how I’d like to come to England to play in it and now the boys are enjoying in it anyway!
“For them to come over and play within the Stade Michelin towards Clermont, or go to the Aviva and play Leinster, it will likely be nice to see our younger guys in South Africa take that stress, thrive underneath it and study from it. It’ll be an excellent studying expertise. I’m very excited to see what they’ll do.
“Hopefully some of the South African teams can do well this season, just to get our fans more of a taste for what it is like going into the play-offs. People might be pretty sceptical in the beginning, not understanding quite, but I think they will quickly realise it is massive and they’ll enjoy it. Every game is tough in the Champions Cup, there is no easy game.”
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Pollard is at the moment sidelined, having injured a knee on his Leicester debut towards Saracens in early October, however he’s wanting to return to motion within the new 12 months, along with his membership dealing with European group opposition from the Ospreys and Clermont Auvergne.
