The Springboks’ overall record at World Cups is rivalled only by the All Blacks, and Handre Pollard suggests life in South Africa prepares the defending champions for the high-pressure environment.
Pollard may regain the No 10 jersey from Manie Libbok when Bok coach Jacques Nienaber announces his match-23 today for Saturday’s semi-final against England at the Stade de France in Paris (9pm kickoff).
SA director of rugby Rassie Erasmus said this week that recalling Pollard to the starting XV was being considered, along with Faf de Klerk at scrumhalf.
Pollard was one of the mainstays of the Boks’ 2019 triumph in Japan, and said this week that the South Africans relish the atmosphere of the tournament.
“We love World Cups ... It’s just the way we were brought up,” the flyhalf said.
“Life has not always been easy for some guys in our squad, so when we get to this position – this point where there should be a lot of pressure on us – we refer back to it a lot.
“This is not really pressure – this is more privilege to be a part of these occasions.”
Pollard added that a Bok gameplan based on wearing down the opposition in a battle of attrition is tailor-made for the World Cup.
“Our game model and the way we play suits World Cups pretty well,” the 29-year-old smiled.
“We are comfortable in this environment. We have been under pressure off the field, growing up, and we all know the stories that have come from the previous World Cups.
“We just enjoy it, we enjoy the pressure. It’s a privilege to have this pressure on our shoulders, playing for our country.”
Pollard came to the World Cup via the back door after missing the initial squad because of injury. And the form of Libbok has made Pollard the second-choice pivot.
“I can’t praise Manie enough for the way he has been playing,” Pollard said. “He has been in unbelievable form, and he has done it under the pressure that comes with playing for South Africa. He has handled that so well ... it has been amazing to watch.
“I have known Manie since he was very young, and for me, the best thing about Manie is that he has not changed one bit from that young guy I met eight years ago.
“He is a humble guy ... he works extremely hard for the team. He adds a beautiful, dynamic way of playing to the team. It is something we have all embraced and enjoyed.”
The selection of Libbok is just one example of the innovating thinking of Bok bosses Erasmus and Nienaber, said Pollard.
“The key thing is the work they put in. Nothing they do is without a good reason.
“It is all thought out, and meticulously planned. They have earned our trust over (five) years because of their actions and how they prepare,” the Leicester Tigers No 10 said.
“When they come up with these ideas, there are no questions asked.
They give us a reason for why we are doing whatever we do, and we just back it. We are all in. We trust each other – players to coaches and coaches to players.”
And Pollard is thrilled to be part of World Cup semi-final week after the disappointment of not making the initial 33-player squad.
“It was a tight call. It was a timesensitive thing,” he explained.
“We pushed our hardest, but I was just a couple of weeks too late to prove my fitness. So that was a very, very disappointing time, but everything worked out.
“The loss of Malcolm (Marx to injury) was very unfortunate, but it gave me an opportunity to come back.”
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