‘Handre is a leader – and that is exactly what we need here’
COMPETING FOR TROPHIES WAS THE MOTIVATION FOR POLLARD’S MOVE
COMPETING for trophies outweighed financial factors in Handre Pollard’s decision to join Leicester Tigers.
That is the view of head coach Steve Borthwick, who secured the Springboks fly-half’s services ahead of the 2022/23 season.
Pollard reportedly had a £1million deal to play in Japan on the table but opted to join the current Gallagher Premiership table-toppers.
Bath were also rumoured to be chasing the Montpellier star, although director of rugby Stuart Hooper told SomersetLive the club did not speak with the player.
“This guy wants to come and wants to compete for trophies, and ultimately we want to keep on improving as a team,” said Borthwick.
“I talked to him about that position, as a leader, as well as being a great player, that fits exactly with every message I was describing.
“Everybody said he is a leader in the squads he is in.
“That is exactly what we need here and for him to show that money is not his motivation, coming into a rugby programme that can help him move forward and he can help us move forward, to him, that sends a really strong message to all our supporters and players here.
“I am excited to work with him. We’re still many months away, but I am excited to work with him, excited to learn from him, because he has a wealth of knowledge and experience playing at the top level.
“I think the best players are the best coaches, you learn, they’re the ones who help guide the team.
“They’re the ones who challenge you as a coach, make you think more.”
Pollard will fill the boots of George Ford when he leaves at the end of the season to join Sale Sharks.
Borthwick was delighted to secure the services of a player who has masterminded the downfall of a Borthwick-coached side on more than one occasion.
“He is a world-class player and a fierce competitor,” he said.
“If you look through his record from when he was South Africa U20s, he’s been in finals, he’s won trophies.
“We were on the receiving end of that last year with Montpellier, when they beat us in the (European Challenge Cup) final.
“The 2019 World Cup final, unfortunately, I was on the opposing coaching team that day.
“He’s a world-class player who competes and wants to win.
“Chatting to him, I was struck by how much he wants to get better, how much he feels he can still improve.
“From everybody I chat to, the influence he has around his squad is huge.”
Pollard has multiple connections within the Tigers camp, having played for the Springboks with Marco van Staden and Jasper Wiese while Aled Walters was a staff member when South Africa won the World Cup in 2019.
Hanro Liebenberg lined up alongside him at the Bulls while Nemani Nadolo played in the same backs division at Montpellier.
“I spoke to a lot of people to get a background,” said Borthwick.
“I don’t know Handre. Every one of them, the recurring theme that kept coming back about how professional he is, how driven to win and improve, to compete, all those things were consistent.
“Then you chat to the guy and he just exudes that. It’s the character we want in the club.”
Borthwick added: “We put to him where we are trying to go, what we’re trying to do and how we are going about it and where we thought he would fit in here.
“From his point of view, obviously you’d have to ask him for his exact opinion, because I am sure he had a lot of people trying to get him to come and play for them next season, all around the world.
“I was struck by the positivity of him, he’s certainly very interested in what we are trying to develop, and investing in what we are trying to do already and saw that he can come and add here, and add with what we’re trying to do and the way we’re trying to do it.
“There’s a fair time before he actually joins us, but it’s certainly an exciting step for us.”