Handre Pollard ruled out of Boks' clash with Ireland
Fly-half Handre Pollard will not be involved in South Africa’s Rugby World Cup clash with Ireland in Paris unless his side suffer a late injury crisis.
However, the reigning champions expect to have lock Eben Etzebeth available for Saturday evening’s Pool B fixture at Stade de France.
Pollard was left out of the Springboks’ initial 33-man squad for the tournament due to a calf problem before being called up on Sunday in place of injured hooker Malcolm Marx.
The 29-year-old – a key man in his country’s victorious 2019 World Cup campaign – returned from injury on Friday evening as a second-half replacement in Leicester’s 18-14 Gallagher Premiership win at Sale.
Springboks director of rugby Rassie Erasmus said: “He will definitely not be selected for this, apart from if we get two or three injuries.
“He’s only just joined us today, he’s just played his first minutes in 14, 15 weeks for Leicester on Friday.
“That was basically the initial reason why we couldn’t bring him to the World Cup.
“It’s good to have him here and now he must get up to speed with our intensity of training sessions, get through our training sessions and slot in nicely.
“We’ve only played two games in this World Cup so I’m pretty sure somewhere we will press on his button and use him but not this weekend.”
South Africa have begun their title defence with victories over Scotland and Romania.
Influential second row Etzebeth was forced off by a shoulder injury against the Scots last Sunday but has made a swift recovery.
“He reacted well last week with his return to training, so yes he will be in contention for this week,” forwards coach Deon Davids said of the 31-year-old.
Latest Comments
> It would be best described as an elegant solution to what was potentially going to be a significant problem for new All Blacks coach Scott Robertson. It is a problem the mad population of New Zealand will have to cope with more and more as All Blacks are able to continue their careers in NZ post RWCs. It will not be a problem for coaches, who are always going to start a campaign with the captain for the next WC in mind. > Cane, despite his warrior spirit, his undoubted commitment to every team he played for and unforgettable heroics against Ireland in last year’s World Cup quarter-final, was never unanimously admired or respected within New Zealand while he was in the role. Neither was McCaw, he was considered far too passive a captain and then out of form until his last world cup where everyone opinions changed, just like they would have if Cane had won the WC. > It was never easy to see where Cane, or even if, he would fit into Robertson’s squad given the new coach will want to be building a new-look team with 2027 in mind. > Cane will win his selections on merit and come the end of the year, he’ll sign off, he hopes, with 100 caps and maybe even, at last, universal public appreciation for what was a special career. No, he won’t. Those returning from Japan have already earned the right to retain their jersey, it’s in their contract. Cane would have been playing against England if he was ready, and found it very hard to keep his place. Perform, and they keep it however. Very easy to see where Cane could have fit, very hard to see how he could have accomplished it choosing this year as his sabbatical instead of 2025, and that’s how it played out (though I assume we now know what when NZR said they were allowing him to move his sabbatical forward and return to NZ next year, they had actually agreed to simply select him for the All Blacks from overseas, without any chance he was going to play in NZ again). With a mammoth season of 15 All Black games they might as well get some value out of his years contract, though even with him being of equal character to Richie, I don’t think they should guarantee him his 100 caps. That’s not what the All Blacks should be about. He absolutely has to play winning football.
Go to commentswhat’s happening to Ian Peel?
Go to comments