There are two types of rugby union fan in this country. Many are already aware of Henry Pollock, perhaps via sizzling highlights of age-grade action. The rest, one suspects, will come to know him pretty soon.
Pollock was already building quite a buzz before Friday night, when he marked his debut for England Under-20s with a hat-trick in Treviso as Italy were beaten 36-11. Having turned 19 only last month, the all-action Northampton Saints flanker will also be eligible for this level next year.
Richard Hill, the 2003 World Cup-winner and now England team manager, has become a valued mentor for young back-rowers, acting as a sounding board for Sam Underhill and Tom Curry. This year, he alerted Steve Borthwick to the potential of Ethan Roots, who promptly won a player-of-the-match award on Test debut in Rome. Hill contacted Pollock a few days ago.
“Hilly got in touch after the Italy game at the weekend and gave me a few tips,” Pollock explains. Predictably, a master of the ‘unseen work’ addressed a few subtleties.
“He was talking mainly about my work-rate off the ball,” Pollock adds of Hill’s pointers. “Sometimes I might get a bit lazy, walking around the pitch. He’s really, really good with me because he’ll see stuff I wouldn’t normally notice.
“Now I know, going into the game at Bath [against Wales], I need to be working harder at kick-offs and times like that, not switching off. It’s something I’ll hopefully adapt into my game.”
As for talents that are easier to spot – pace, evasive footwork, offloading and disruptive breakdown defence – Pollock seems to possess them in abundance. He supported Ben Redshaw’s break to score his first against Italy before tearing 30 metres through two tackles to add a second from the tail of a maul.
The shock-blond teenager set up England’s fourth try, tapping a penalty and lifting a pass to Josh Bellamy, and rubber-stamped the win when he benefitted from a late line-out drive.
Pollock salutes a “special” victory, founded on a “squad effort”. England now face Wales on Friday at The Rec, where they will also host a strong Ireland side on March 8.
An eye-catching introduction to under-20s action seemed inevitable for Pollock, who signed his first professional contract with Northampton last spring while still at Stowe School.
A year previously, in 2022, he captained England U18s in South Africa and returned with an award for forward of the series. The hosts edged a thrilling decider 44-41. Pollock’s emotional post-match interview drew widespread attention.
“Listen, the lads are f—— buzzing after that,” he told a television reporter. “That f—— scoreboard shows a lot of heart. We came back when we wanted to come back and I’m really proud of the boys there. I’m f—— proud.”
In truth, such authenticity is exactly what we often crave from stars in the spotlight. Reflecting around 18 months later, Pollock stands by the sentiment, if not the language used.
‘F-bomb’ interview
“We didn’t get interviewed after the last two, so I wasn’t really expecting to get interviewed,” he remembers. “We’d lost in the last minute and it was… it was a political moment, the reason we lost.
“I got pulled into the interview and I said some wrong stuff. If I could go back, I’d change it. My intentions were right, I just dropped the F-bomb a couple of times. You live and you learn, right?”
After that tour, in January 2023 while playing for Saints Academy in a friendly at Cinch Stadium, Pollock sped some 75 metres on a stunning solo run. As he crossed his own 22, he hitch-kicked around a would-be tackler and then outstripped two more to reach the try-line.
This season, a formidable trajectory has continued. At the end of September, Pollock was drafted into the Saints line-up for a Premiership Cup game against Bath. His opposite number was Underhill, and Northampton prevailed 43-42.
A Premiership debut, from the bench against Leicester Tigers, arrived in November. As a mark of Pollock’s promise and progress, Saints aficionados believe his emergence can ease the burden of Lewis Ludlam’s impending departure. High praise.
Just before Christmas, having headed on loan to Bedford Blues in the Championship, Pollock topped up the reel with another rapid break-away from his own 22 against Ampthill.
Not that he seeks out these moments. Ben Earl is one man who needed to shed his reputation as a ‘highlight reel player’, whether it had been fairly or unfairly earned. Pollock is aware of the need to become a rounded operator.
“You can’t have a big highlight reel and then not do the basics well,” he says. “I don’t pride myself on the highlights; I pride myself on the stuff no one sees. That’s what wins games; tackling, ball-carrying, jackalling – the basic fundamentals I need in my locker.
“If you get too big-headed and think about the future, you’re not going to work on the basics. I pride myself on working on those everyday and staying grounded because, at the end of the day, you’re only as good as your next performance, no matter what’s happened in the past.”
Size, as well as application, could be another requisite for future success at senior level. Pollock received special attention during Northampton’s squad bulk this summer and believes he will eventually need to be bigger at the top level.
“There’s a bit of chat about slowly increasing [my weight],” he says. “I’m sitting at around 100kg [15st 10lbs] at the moment and I think they want me at 107 or 108kg [17st], just a little heavier so I can take more impact. Hopefully I won’t lose my speed during that process, but I trust the coaches at Saints.”
‘Even if you aren’t the biggest, it can seem like you are’
Fittingly, two of Pollock’s role models are flankers who punch above what the scales read. “Michael Hooper has always been someone I’ve looked up to. He got around the park and isn’t the biggest bloke. But he gave me the confidence that even if you aren’t the biggest guy on the pitch, it can seem like you are.
“I used to go and watch Saints games and the way Teimana Harrison carried, with loads of aggression and loads of fight, was also really inspiring.”
A sporty family must have provided a strong support network. Hester, Pollock’s mother, was a national-level triathlete. His sister, Zoe, is a serious 400m hurdler at the University of Georgia. Both father, John, and brother, Angus, are scratch golfers. Pollock reckons his handicap would be in the mid to late teens, yet does count a birdie on the 18th hole at Gleneagles on his swelling CV.
“It was a couple of years ago,” he laughs. “The round was going pretty well and I think I went with a three iron off the tee. The approach shot was decent; I stuck it pretty close. Then I worked the green pretty well and… just got the ball in the hole, mate. It was a surreal moment.”
The past year or so has felt surreal for Pollock, too. But the landmarks will not let up. Wales Under-20s opened their own Six Nations campaign by overturning Scotland 37-29. Pollock and his colleagues will have to be on their mettle this Friday.
“It’s about adapting to each new level,” he finishes. “Friday was my first taste of under-20. This weekend it’ll be about how I can back that performance up.”
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