A former England out-half has paid Handre Pollard a classy compliment after the 2019 Rugby World Cup winner’s latest involvement in the recent Leicester charge up the Gallagher Premiership table. Tigers have won their last five league matches to catapult up the rankings and leave them in third place heading towards the end-of-season playoffs.
Pollard injured himself on his October 1 debut for the English club at Saracens but the South African has been increasingly excellent since his late December return to action, demonstrating why Leicester decided to sign him from Montpellier for the 2022/23 season.
His most recent outing came in last Saturday’s convincing 46-24 Mattioli Woods Welford Road win over Bristol, Pollard’s ninth appearance for the club, and his contribution massively impressed Andy Goode, who was at the match entertaining some corporate guests.
Reflecting on the top-notch performance he witnessed from Pollard, Goode said on the latest episode of The Rugby Pod: “They [Leicester] have now won five on the spin and a lot of it is Handre Pollard. I’m not exaggerating, he was world-class. He was absolutely world-class on Saturday.
“Kicks to touch, he is booting penalties from his own half that are landing five metres from the try line, his crossfield kicks are perfection, and the best moment – tackling. He is sticking shoulders in like you wouldn’t believe.
“I don’t think it’s too late…”
– Handre Pollard, w/@heagneyl ???, revisits recent England comments, and talks Leicester, Springboks, curry, Gilbert balls, the Tigers staff member he swears by, and a “world-class” youngster. #EnglandRugby #GLOvLEIhttps://t.co/GvWtyeMNlb
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) March 11, 2023
“It was a complete performance from him. He has got options left, right and centre, he is picking out the right options. He was world-class at the weekend – and then Freddie Burns has taught him the old chip and chase because he pulled it out. It was class.
“He is a worldie and he is putting it in. You speak to people around the club and how much he is invested in the club. You see some of these foreign players come to the Premiership on a big pay packet.
“They try their hardest and they try and play well but they are not fully invested in everything that goes on at the club. Handre Pollard is – and Leicester are on fire.”
