High expectations have been positioned on the fit-again flyhalf because of the current struggles of the Springbok objective kickers.
Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber doesn’t need to put any strain on returning flyhalf Handre Pollard and is simply hoping to see a practical efficiency from him when the Boks tackle Tonga of their remaining World Cup pool match in Marseille on Sunday.
Pollard has performed little or no rugby over the previous yr because of numerous accidents, final enjoying for the Boks towards the Wallabies final yr, whereas he has solely performed just a few video games for his membership facet Leicester Tigers in that point.
ALSO READ: What Boks must do towards Tonga to safe World Cup quarterfinal spot
High expectations have, nonetheless, been positioned on him, because of the current struggles of the Boks’ objective kickers and lots of followers and pundits are hoping Pollard would be the reply to that, however Nienaber simply needs to see him get via the match.
“What do I expect of him? A realistic performance. I think that’s where we must all stay … in the reality of it. He hasn’t played for the Boks in 13 months … he last played in the last week in August 2022 for the Springboks,” defined Nienaber.
“He hasn’t played top-level rugby since the first week in May, which is 19 weeks ago. In saying that, he’s a quality rugby player and we all know that. He’s won a World Cup before, he’s won a British & Irish Lions series before.
“So he understands what international rugby and top international rugby is about, but I think we must stay real in that and give him time to settle in and get used to the pace of it.”
Wasted alternatives
Although the objective kicking has been the headline fear for the Boks, Nienaber is much less involved with it than the quantity of alternatives that the staff creates and don’t take, which is a key focus level for them over the remainder of the World Cup.
“In the game against Ireland, we had four opportunities within one metre of their goal-line, which we butchered. Four. That, for me, is a much bigger issue that we have to sort out. You can’t get yourself within one metre of Ireland’s try line and then you butcher four opportunities,” stated Nienaber.
“In that 13 months that Handre wasn’t out there for the Springboks, there have been 16 take a look at matches and we received 75 per cent of these.
“Yes, we are not consistent off the tee. But the guys that stepped in, I don’t think they did a bad job.”
Against Tonga the Boks want to choose up a giant bonus level win to provide themselves the absolute best likelihood of constructing it into the competitors knockouts.
So they may have an attention-grabbing alternative on their fingers on whether or not to kick to the nook or go for posts to provide Pollard some a lot wanted objective kicking follow.
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