New Zealand fans were left far from impressed with Henry Pollock’s antics — from celebrating penalties to his unapologetic stare-down of the haka — as England stormed to one of the greatest victories in their history.
England roared back from conceding 12 early points to claim only their ninth win over New Zealand in 120 years, sealing what many are calling the defining triumph of Steve Borthwick’s three-year reign.
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In front of a raucous Allianz Stadium crowd, England delivered four tries and a statement 33–19 win — the first real litmus test of their progress after nine straight victories against lesser opposition.
And, as ever, Pollock found himself right at the heart of the drama.
Social media was swiftly ablaze, with Kiwi supporters venting their fury:
One fan fumed: “If only the Boks were playing England this year, just to absolutely ram this twat Pollock up his own arse.”
Another blasted: “Pollock you’re good but you’re such an annoying twat. Suppose rugby needs all types of characters.”
A third wrote: “Henry Pollock. What a twat, what was that during the haka?!”
Another added: “England were pretty impressive. Came back from nil down. If it wasn’t for Pollock’s antics, you could actually like them.”
But while some supporters were seething, others absolutely loved every second of the flanker’s mischief.
An England fan hit back: “To all the Pollock haters, hope you enjoyed him setting up the winning try.”
Another said: “Pollock is such a prick! Absolute prick! But he’s our prick.”
A third chimed in: “Rather enjoyed that. Pollock makes me smile inside.”
And one amused supporter simply marvelled: “The Pollock comments on here…”
Whether you call him a menace or a master of chaos, one thing is certain: Henry Pollock once again stole the show — and everybody’s talking about him.
Three England starters who flopped against All Blacks – who should replace them
Yet despite the triumph, England’s line-out faltered badly throughout, leaving several starters under scrutiny for their performances.
#1. Maro Itoje
Telegraph 4, Mail Online 6
Itoje endured a rare off-day at the line-out, with New Zealand repeatedly targeting England’s calls and disrupting their platform. While his general work rate and impact around the park remained strong, two penalties and his role in the set-piece collapse overshadowed an otherwise solid outing.
Despite the criticism, Itoje remains indispensable — Steve Borthwick won’t be looking beyond his captain any time soon.
Quotes
Mail Online: ” Bright orange boots but New Zealand targeted England at the line-out. Not one of his stand-out performances but won’t care a jot after huge win.”
Telegraph: “Like George, it is hard to look past how much of a calamity the line-out was and Itoje was twice pinged. Spoilt an otherwise excellent performance.”
Replacement: None — Itoje is irreplaceable and should remain in place.
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