Henry Pollock has rapidly emerged as English rugby’s new poster boy. With his headband and bleach-blond locks, he certainly stands out from the crowd.
But there is far more to him than just a silly haircut. Despite only turning 21 last month, he’s already proven himself to be a world-class talent.
On the field, he is bold as brass and loves nothing more than to wind-up his opponents. Off the field, he has already built an army of followers on social media.
Pollock is a star in the making – and is sure to be Public Enemy No 1 when England and Scotland renew hostilities at Murrayfield on Saturday. Love him or loathe him, he’s going to be a fixture in the England team for years to come.
Here, former Scotland captains ANDY NICOL and JASON WHITE give their views on young man who could actually have been playing against England this weekend had things gone differently…
England star Henry Pollock has become the player rugby fans either love or loathe
Pollock loves nothing more than winding up opposition fans, like shushing them here against Wales
The blond bombshell only turned 21 last month but has already toured with the British and Irish Lions
What are your impressions of Pollock and his meteoric rise over the past year or so?
ANDY NICOL: It’s pretty amazing how quickly he has come through the ranks. When he scored those two tries for England against Wales in last year’s Six Nations, he had only started a handful of games for Northampton.
He then goes on to play a vital role as they reach the Champions Cup final – and becomes a star with the British and Irish Lions on the victorious tour of Australia. It’s incredible.
I don’t think I can remember a player who has scaled those heights quite so quickly and impressively. Forget all the noise around him, all the cheeky celebrations, his hair … strip it back.
He’s just a phenomenal rugby player. His awareness and intelligence are unlike anything I’ve seen in such a young player. He plays on instinct and has a very unique skillset. The frightening thing is that he’s only going to get better and better.
JASON WHITE: I was at a fund-raising dinner at Fettes College a while back and I ended up sitting next to a chap whose kids go there. It turned out to be Henry Pollock’s uncle. Over the next few weeks, I then spoke to some people involved in talent identification and player eligibility within Scottish Rugby.
I know for a fact there was interest from Scotland and they were fully aware of Pollock’s eligibility through his mum and dad, who were both born and bred in Scotland. I’m sure his uncle even said to me there were photos of him wearing a Scotland jersey as a youngster!
His rise over these past 18 months or so has been off the charts. His ability to come up with big moments in big matches is unrivalled for someone so young. Look at the way he beat Damian Penaud in a foot race and outmuscled him when Northampton played Bordeaux in the Champions Cup recently. Maybe that’s why Penaud was dropped from the France squad.
Pollock has the pace of a back-three player and the try-scoring instincts to go with it. He’s an all-court player who could easily play on the wing or in the centre. When you add his boundless energy and enthusiasm on top of that natural talent, he’s box-office.
Did you ever encounter anyone in your own career, either a team-mate or opponent, in the same mould?
AN: I’ll be honest, he would have probably annoyed the life out of me if I was playing against him. The likes of Maro Itoje and Jamie George are good, experienced pros who will keep him in check. Pollock will p*** people off. He will get under their skin. We will see all of this at Murrayfield on Saturday, I’m sure. It’s up to the older guys to let him do his thing, but also recognise when to just keep him in check.
Pollock is tackled by Tomos Williams during last weekend’s Six Nations thrashing of Wales
Cheeky chappie Pollock celebrates the Wales victory with team-mate Fraser Dingwall
The Pollock factor is having a huge effect on young fans eager to copy his style
During my own career, Austin Healey could be very brash and outspoken at times. Famously on the Lions tour in 2001, he spoke in the press about Justin Harrison, calling him ‘a plank’ in a newspaper article. There is a fine line between confidence and arrogance.
Like Pollock, Healey was a terrific rugby player on his day. More often that not, these guys back it up.
JW: There is maybe a little bit of Lawrence Dallaglio in him. Dallaglio wasn’t scared to puff out his chest and really get in your face at times.
The thing with Dallaglio was that he could be very hostile and confrontational on the field but, away from rugby, he is actually an incredibly nice bloke.
I actually think Pollock is a one-off. He’s his own man. Looking back at England’s win over the All Blacks in the autumn, how many other players have you seen stick their tongue out, as Pollock did, when they face the Haka for the first time? That probably summed him up – he’s absolutely fearless.
As an opponent, he’s the type of player who would make your blood boil. As a back-rower, nothing would have given me greater satisfaction than lining him up and absolutely smashing him! He’s a young upstart. When he comes off the bench on Saturday, Scotland need to match his energy and physicality or else he could run riot.
Are there times when he oversteps the mark? Should he tone it down a little – or is he good for rugby as a sport?
AN: I am very much in the camp that he is good for rugby. I don’t mind all the hype around him. After a game, I imagine he’s probably quick to check his phone and social media. I saw him having a pop at Wales even after hammering them last weekend.
As a society, we have this habit of trying to knock people down when they maybe don’t conform to what would view as ‘the norm’. That applies tenfold in rugby. In many respects, he’s very anti-rugby and anti-establishment. I like it!
Pollock could have qualified for Scotland through his parents, and home fans will be hoping he doesn’t run amok at Murrayfield on Saturday
Pollock, at front of England line-up, caused controversy when he allegedly disrespected the Haka during New Zealand clash last november
Pollock stuck his tongue out and licked his lips while All Blacks performed the Haka
My daughters are both in their 20s. They know who Henry Pollock is, whereas they probably wouldn’t know who Tom Curry is, or Ben Earl. Even at such a young age, Pollock is helping rugby reach new people and audiences. That has to be a good thing.
There will be a new generation of kids coming through who will be wearing the black headband, will want to dye their hair blond, and want to be the next Henry Pollock. There’s a bit of beef developed with Bordeaux due to his antics in the Champions Cup final last season. In a Six Nations context, the whole nation of France probably hates him now! That’s something he will need to deal with on the final weekend in Paris.
JW: Yeah, he probably does overdo it a little bit at times. We saw during the Lions series last summer that he was really pumped up and determined to wind up the Wallabies as much as possible with his celebrations. I’m sure he will mature eventually and learn to pick his moments maybe a little more wisely. But I don’t see it as a bad thing. That’s just his character. He’s ripping up the rulebook and doing things his own way.
There is maybe a cultural thing in British sport where we don’t like people who are brash and cocky. Those kind of characters are more commonly seen in American sports. But, from the moment he burst onto the scene, Pollock has been able to back it up.
Maybe some people will see his confidence as arrogant and excessive. Right now, I’m not sure you’ll find a more popular, more exciting, and more talked-about rugby played on the planet. That kind of star quality is undoubtedly good for the game. Personally, I’m all for him. That said, I hope he and his England team-mates have a stinker this weekend.
What are your thoughts on Saturday’s game?
AN: Clearly, Scotland aren’t in great shape after losing in Rome. If we’ve learned anything about the team over these past few years, it’s that they know how to raise their game and deliver a big performance. That has applied against England probably more than any other fixture.
As poor as we were against Italy, I wouldn’t write Scotland off at all in terms of beating England.
In fact, England were probably disappointed to see Scotland lose as it means there is guaranteed to be a reaction this week. There has to be.
Henry Pollock celebrates scoring England’s second try against Australia last November
Pollock embraces Tommy Freeman after opening Six Nations win over Wales
Pollock pushes away Tomos Williams during the victory over Wales last Saturday
Right from the start last Saturday, Scotland were chasing the game. I expect they will come flying out of the blocks at Murrayfield. But this is a serious test. England are flying at the moment.
They have won 12 games on the bounce and absolutely destroyed Wales without barely getting out of second gear. They will start as favourites, despite their poor record at Murrayfield in recent times.
JW: One thing is for sure, Scotland’s set-piece needs to improve massively from Rome. Let’s be honest, it was a bit of a shambles at times. You need to get those fundamentals nailed down in order to give yourself a platform in the game.
I don’t think it’s a stretch to suggest this is now the biggest game of Gregor Townsend’s tenure. There is so much pressure and scrutiny around it. We need to really dig deep and find a performance. If we lose, our championship is over after only two games. That would be massively deflating and damaging.
England haven’t won at Murrayfield since 2020. They will feel like they owe us one. They have some incredible power coming off the bench, with the likes of Pollock and Tom Curry among others.
They will start as favourites, undoubtedly. The only way Scotland get their campaign back on track is by digging deep and grinding out a win.