Pollard on Lambie rivalry
NOBODY knows better than Handre Pollard that the homeand-away matches against Argentina last month might have steered the initiative towards Patrick Lambie in the engaging fight for the Springbok No 10 jersey at the Rugby World Cup.
Lambie is technically the man in possession, having guided the Boks to a revenge win over the Pumas in Argentina. The week before, coach Heyneke Meyer had pencilled in Lambie to start at Kings Park, only to change his mind on the Thursday and give Pollard another opportunity.
Pollard had a shocker, as did the whole team in the upset defeat, and there were calls from the Kings Park crowd for Lambie to come on, which he did, and the unfortunate Pollard had a section of the crowd giving him a caterwauling as he trooped off.
“I am over that (crowd reaction) – you can’t let that hold you back if you want to make it on the international stage,” Pollard said.
“I made mistakes. I can’t undo them, but I can get better. By the same token, you have to give Patrick credit,” Pollard said yesterday before the Boks’ first training session of the week before Saturday’s match against Japan.
“He waits in the wings, often while it seems I am being given preference, then he gets a shot and makes the most of it.”
The same thing happened last November, when Pollard started the Bok tour as first choice but after the loss in Dublin to Ireland, Lambie took over at 10. Only for the status quo to change for this year’s World XV match and Rugby Championship, when it seemed Meyer had settled on his 10, once and for all.
That is no longer the case, and Pollard knows that he could well be on the bench on Saturday in Brighton.
“It is an arm-wrestle, make no mistake,” Pollard said of his rivalry with Lambie.
“If you want to play such a key position for the Boks, you have to understand that the competition is going to be fierce, and the guy waiting for his chance (Lambie) never fails to deliver when he gets his shot.
“I have started more than Pat (in the last two seasons), but he quietly waits in the wings and then plays brilliantly. I have to hand it to him for his calmness and patience,” Pollard conceded with a respectful nod.
Pollard could well envisage the unfailingly polite Lambie as the “smiling assassin”, but he then adds that a similar description befits veteran Morne Steyn.
“Egos cannot come before the team cause. It came up in a team meeting recently, and the names of Pat and Morne came up as two players who never have a bad word to say about anybody, ” Pollard said.
“They are very positive squad members and symbolise our team culture of caring for each other, and that the jersey comes first. Egos have to be put aside for the good of the country.
“Between Pat, myself and Morne, we have three different styles, so it is up to the coach which blend he wants for a particular match.”
And that “blend” will be with scrumhalf Fourie du Preez, provided he can stay injury free.
“Fourie has made a huge difference since he has been back in training,” Pollard said.
“The coaches have brought him back slowly for a reason – you do not want a player of his influence to be lost again. He is so important to the way we want to play, he is one of the best scrumhalves in world rugby at evaluating the ruck and what should be done with the ball.
“Having a player of his stature at 9 gives a flyhalf tremendous reassurance. He takes so much pressure off the 10 – whether it’s me, Pat or Morne.”