Let them have boeuf, says Pollard on teams wanting beef with Boks

If teams want to have beef with the Boks, they should pull up a chair, says Handré Pollard.

After their edge-of-the-seat victory over France, there was boeuf aplenty, especially from their captain, Antoine Dupont, who had a bitter taste in his mouth about the refereeing. And now roast beef appears to be on the menu with the Boks’ semifinal clash against England on Saturday.

England is the team the Springboks vanquished in the 2019 final in Yokohama and there may be lingering resentment from the side who were made to believe they were favourites going into that showpiece match.

“You could see the disappointment on their faces four years ago,” Pollard recalled. “I have been part of a squad that has been knocked out in the semifinal of a World Cup [in 2015] and it sits with you the rest of your life.

“There are a lot of things you look back on and think you could have done differently. I’m sure they will come with that mindset this week. They will be ruthless, they will take the intensity and physicality to a new level.

“But we are ready, we are prepared for that and we enjoy that. If there is going to be beef, there is going to be beef. It’s Test rugby, it’s 80 minutes and we have just got to play the game.”

England won’t need reminding of SA’s World Cup pedigree. The Boks have the best strike rate at winning the competition. They’ve won three of the previous seven they competed in.

The Boks have won four of their five clashes against England in the World Cup and have won all three knockout matches against the familiar foe. 

In some ways the Boks are built for knockout rugby — it is hard-wired in their DNA. They have squad members who emerged from some of the country’s hardest streets. The Boks’ uncomplicated game plan helps provide a springboard and clarity.

“It’s the way we were brought up, we love it,” Pollard said. “It’s not always been easy for some guys in our squad, growing up, so when we get to this position, this point where there should be a lot of pressure on us, we refer back to it a lot. This is not really pressure, this is more privilege to be a part of these occasions.

“Our game model and the way we play the game suits World Cups well. We are comfortable in this environment and we have been under pressure off the field, growing up, and we all know the stories that have come from the previous World Cups. 

“We enjoy it, we enjoy the pressure. It’s a privilege to have this pressure on our shoulders, playing for our country.”

He in many ways exemplifies some of those ice-in-the-vein qualities needed in knockout matches. His five penalties and a drop in his first World Cup knockout game against Wales in 2015 set the tone. He kicked them out of the competition in the semifinals four years later and went on to play a leading role in the final.

His Bok journey since, however, hasn’t so much raised flags as the occasional concern.

“It’s been an interesting four years. There have been a lot of highs and lows, but it’s all part of the game. Covid-19 and my injuries disrupted my play here [in France]. I would have loved to have been a part of it more, but I enjoyed it.

“Being back at Leicester has been great. It’s been good for me and my family, it’s been really nice.

“The calf injury took me out of the semifinals in the Premiership, but it was a great season last year. I enjoyed it. Ups and downs over the past few months, not being selected and coming back in, but that is all in the past now.”

His long-range penalty last Sunday helped break the back of the French. He looks entirely capable of selection in the Boks’ starting line-up.

Pollard, though, had huge praise for the man who has been playing in the No 10 jersey this year, Manie Libbok.

“I can’t praise Manie enough for the way he has been playing. He has been in unbelievable form and he has taken it under the pressure that comes with playing for SA. He has been handling that so well, it has been really amazing to watch.

“I have known Manie since he was very young and the best thing about Manie is he has not changed a bit from that young guy I met eight years ago. He is a humble guy, works for the team, works extremely hard.

“He brings a beautiful, lovely, dynamic way of playing to the team. It is something we have all embraced and enjoyed as well.”