Pollock lives up to the hype; but is he ready for test duty?

The morning after the night before and it is an easy ‘take’ to say Henry Pollock should start for the British and Irish Lions in the first Test against Australia.

It was certainly an eye-catching performance from the 20-year-old Northampton Saints star in the 54-7 win over Western Force, one that captured the attention of the Australian media.

The state broadcaster, ABC News, said Pollock “showcased his star potential” and “produced a series of tackle-busting runs”.

The headline in the Australian read: ‘Lions wonder kid, playmaker put Wallabies on notice.’

Pollock, making his first Lions start, looked like a kid in the candy store.

With a smile on his face, he gorged on Western Force at times. His pace and lung-busting break set up a first-half try for Tomos Williams, the power matched by a sublime offload to the Welsh scrum-half.

In the second half came the audacious chip over the top, chase and gather before alertly leaving the ball when he went to ground. The move resulted in a try for Joe McCarthy.

“I thought he was brilliant today,” said Lions captain Dan Sheehan.

“He does his own thing. He has his own way of playing. He’s probably different to a lot of the forwards.

“I enjoy that rugby – off the cuff, see what’s in front of you and make it happen. And with his skillset and speed, he can certainly make it happen.

“It’s just about trying to make sure that he’s doing the right thing for the team all the time.

“He’ll be continuously developing. All these big games are massive for him and massive for all of us – the experience. He’ll just get better and better from here.”

Even his opponents heaped praise on Pollock.

“Henry Pollock lived up to the hype. He came into his own as they kept on the intensity and he’s a hell of a ball-carrier,” proclaimed Australia international Nic White.