Handré Pollard has opened up on the freak training ground injury that ruled him out of the second Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry Test against the All Blacks. CLINTON VAN DER BERG reports.
The veteran Springbok flyhalf, who had been set to start in Cape Town, suffered a calf injury during a training session that he described as a simple accident.
He admitted the emotion of the moment briefly got the better of him.
“I sort of stepped away to accelerate and the pitch slipped, which happens from time to time,” Pollard explained. “I probably put too much tension on my calf. I had a small calf tear. I knew it wasn’t so serious, but I also knew it was probably going to keep me out for the rest of the series.”
For a player who has built his career on delivering in the biggest matches, missing out on such a high-profile series proved difficult to take.
“It was such a great series to be a part of,” he said. “We were still a part of it as a squad, but of course couldn’t contribute on the field. I think that’s where the emotion came from. We all worked hard and we were all very excited. But hey, that’s life, that’s rugby, and, as they say, sh*t happens.”
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Despite the setback, Pollard’s standing as one of the most seasoned campaigners in world rugby, a two-time World Cup winner since making his Test debut back in 2014, was evident in how he framed the disappointment.
Asked how his approach to Test rugby has evolved over the years, Pollard was candid about the maturity that comes with experience.
“When you’re young, you’re very free and a bit careless, but you don’t really understand the consequences of certain decisions you make on a rugby field,” he said.
“As you get older, you realise those things. Test match rugby is always going to be built on set-piece, a kicking game and defence. My approach and my mentality haven’t changed at all.”
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That experience has increasingly positioned Pollard as a mentor within the squad, guiding a new generation of Springbok talent through the pressures of Test rugby, as he will do against Australia on Sunday.
“We’re all still learning, even after all these years,” he said. “Luckily for us, we’re not learning while losing, and I think that’s a very fortunate position to be in. We’ve been on the other side, where it’s not so nice to be learning and losing every second week.”
With his sights already shifting toward the year ahead, Pollard was unequivocal about what still drives him.
“It’s the pinnacle of our game,” he said of the World Cup. “We have to play good rugby for the next 12 months to give ourselves that opportunity.”
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Photo: Lefty Shivambu/Gallo Images
The post Pollard: Sh*t happens appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
Handré Pollard has opened up on the freak training ground injury that ruled him out of the second Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry Test against the All Blacks.
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