England greats Anthony Watson and Dan Cole have defended Red Rose star Henry Pollock after he was targeted by Union Bordeaux-Begles\u2019 fans and players during their 50-28 Investec Champions Cup win over Northampton Saints at Stade Chaban-Delmas on Sunday.<\/p>\n
With this fixture being a repeat of last season\u2019s Champions Cup final \u2013 which UBB won 28-20 in Cardiff \u2013 there was plenty of hype ahead of the clash.<\/p>\n
Adding spice to the fixture was the presence of back-rower Pollock<\/a>, who was involved in an ugly incident at the full-time whistle in that final in which several Bordeaux players got involved in a scuffle with the 20-year-old Saints star.<\/p>\n Pollock seemingly had his throat grabbed by UBB front-row Jefferson Poirot, who was cited for an act contrary to good sportsmanship, and after appearing before a disciplinary panel, he received a two-match suspension.<\/p>\n Bordeaux\u2019s players also mocked Pollock\u2019s trademark \u201cpulse check\u201d celebration following their victory in Cardiff.<\/p>\n Pollock was in the thick of the action again in Sunday\u2019s eagerly anticipated clash and showed his class by scoring a brace of tries for Northampton but despite his efforts, he was still booed by the home side\u2019s spectators.<\/p>\n Appearing on the For the Love of Rugby<\/a> podcast, while reviewing round three of the Investec Champions Cup<\/a>, Watson<\/a> raised the issue of the crowd behaviour towards Pollock.<\/p>\n \u2018Nobody boos players they don\u2019t respect\u2019<\/p>\n \u201cI just want to draw your attention, Coley, to a quote from the post-game from Phil Dowson, who said: \u2018Nobody boos rubbish players. Nobody boos players they don\u2019t respect\u2019.<\/p>\n \u201cNow, I don\u2019t want to draw the conclusion, but I think he\u2019s talking about Henry Pollock here. So what\u2019s your take on that?\u201d<\/p>\n Cole<\/a> responded by saying that he gets the impression that Pollock is not bothered by the extra attention which he receives and feels that the 20-year-old actually thrives on it.<\/p>\n \u201cLike Pollock, he is what he is. And I think like the media attention around him, what drives it and that kind of stuff,\u201d said the former England and Leicester Tigers tighthead prop.<\/p>\n \u201cHe loves it. And that\u2019s who he is. He scores a try today and he gives his celebration. He\u2019s obviously been gagging probably since the Investec final last year to wanting to do that in Bordeaux to 34,000 people.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd that\u2019s what he is. And it gets the crowd going and he probably loves that.<\/p>\n \u201cAs an opposition team, opposition player, like if they find motivation in it, then as Bordeaux did it in the final last year, they obviously picked on it and went after it.<\/p>\n Bordeaux were \u2018lucky\u2019 against Northampton as England greats hit out at laws that aren\u2019t \u2018what they should be\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cAnd it\u2019s just like, it\u2019s the game and people find different motivation, different spots. And as the game moves forward, you get more things around the game and the crowd can boo if they want. They can cheer if they want, you know what I mean?<\/p>\n \u201cLike freedom of choice, do that, whatever. And Pollock is who he is and he accepts that and he doesn\u2019t hide behind it. And he shouldn\u2019t.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd he accepts, I think he almost wants to bring it on, doesn\u2019t he? Which then probably invites more boos and stuff.\u201d<\/p>\n Cole believes Pollock\u2019s ability as a player will eventually convert his current detractors into supporters and used the example of former England captain Owen Farrell to illustrate that it has happened previously.<\/p>\n \u201cBut at some point it\u2019ll swing around. We saw people like Owen Farrell who were probably a bit different, whereas he went from being incredibly disliked during the World Cup and after the World Cup, as in it totally shifted, the whole narrative around him shifted,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n \u2018The boos are temporary\u2019<\/p>\n \u201cSo, you know what I mean? The boos are temporary. I think like they are what they are now, but in the future, there\u2019ll be massive cheers and there are already cheers for him.<\/p>\n \u201cSo, it all works out in the end.\u201d<\/p>\n Former Red Rose and Leicester Tigers flyer Watson agreed and said Pollock is the type of player which the game needs, although he admitted that he is surprised by the lengths which UBB\u2019s players have gone to in a bid to antagonise the Saints star.<\/p>\n \u201cI think that regardless, I think it\u2019s still good for the game. You know, whether it\u2019s fair or not on Henry, only he can kind of say how it makes him feel,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cBut I think from eyes on the game and drama, which I think rugby needs and the personalities that rugby needs, I think it\u2019s amazing.<\/p>\n \u201cI actually think the people who have taken it really far are the Bordeaux players. Some of them screaming in his face and stuff. Look, I can get a bit of, not hatred, but I can get a subtle bit of trying to prove a point.<\/p>\n \u201cBut all 15 blokes look like they\u2019re on it. Like there was about four of them trying to clean him out at every breakdown. Screaming in his face when he knocked the ball on, like it was just a bit OTT (over the top) for me, I thought.<\/p>\n \u201cBut fair play to him for rising up to the challenge and still, like I said, showing what he can do.\u201d<\/p>\n Want more from Planet Rugby? Add us as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list<\/a> for world-class coverage you can trust.<\/p>\n