Springboks Fly-half Handre Pollard Unfazed by Recent Losses Against Ireland Ahead of Highly-Anticipated Test Series
Published: BBC Rugby Union, 3 June 2023
As the Springboks prepare to host Ireland in a highly-anticipated Test series, fly-half Handre Pollard has insisted that the team is not “driven by revenge” despite their recent poor record against the Six Nations champions.
The South African side will be playing their first Test since winning the Rugby World Cup last year, and the series is set to be a thrilling affair as the two top-ranked teams in the world collide. The recent history between the two sides favors Ireland, with the Springboks last beating their rivals in 2016, including a pool game loss at last year’s World Cup in France.
However, Pollard, who missed that World Cup defeat due to injury but returned to guide the Springboks to glory in the knockouts, is unfazed by the team’s recent struggles against Ireland. “Confidence in the group is good; we’ve really been training hard and preparing well, but we’re not driven by revenge,” he said.
The playmaker, who spent seven years with the Bulls and considers Loftus Versfeld a “special place,” acknowledged that the goal-kicking aspect was the difference in their previous meeting with Ireland, but he insisted that the team’s focus is on the technical details and executing their game plan.
“For now, it was very technical this week and making sure everything’s in place in order to put ourselves in a position to win a rugby match,” Pollard said. “Whenever you get that shot, you got to be clinical.”
Despite the formidable opposition, Pollard believes that the Springboks’ focus should be on defending their home turf, regardless of the opponents’ ranking. “We see it as a test match at home; whoever we play against at home, we’re proud Nation we’re going to try and defend our home ground that’s it, whether it’s number one, two, three, four or five in the world, it doesn’t matter.“
As the Springboks welcome Ireland to South African shores, Pollard and his teammates are determined to put their recent struggles behind them and assert their dominance on home soil. The stage is set for a thrilling Test series between two of the world’s rugby powerhouses.
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