England rugby supporters are left scratching their heads after Henry Pollock was overlooked for the\u00a0World Rugby Men\u2019s 15s Breakthrough Player of the Year\u00a0award, which instead went to New Zealand\u2019s Fabian Holland. <\/p>\n
The omission has sparked a wave of surprise and frustration among fans, who had hailed Pollock as one of the most exciting young talents in world rugby this year.<\/p>\n
Join RUCK\u2019s Instagram broadcast channel <\/a>and get the latest rugby news straight to your phone.<\/p>\n Pollock, who has been a standout in England\u2019s pack with dominant performances throughout the season, had been widely tipped to feature prominently in the awards. <\/p>\n His dynamic play, consistent impact in crucial games, and ability to change matches from the second row had made him a favorite among supporters and pundits alike.<\/p>\n Fan Reactions<\/p>\n Social media quickly filled with reactions:<\/p>\n \u201cHow on earth has Pollock been overlooked?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFabian Holland is class, but Pollock is a generational talent,\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cEvery big game Pollock played, he delivered. What more does he need to do to be recognised?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cClassic \u2014 an English player getting ignored despite standout performances. Pollock should\u2019ve been a guaranteed winner.\u201d<\/p>\n The Full List of Winners<\/p>\n While Pollock missed out, the awards saw a strong lineup of talent recognized across the men\u2019s and women\u2019s games:<\/p>\n World Rugby Men\u2019s 15s Player of the Year:\u00a0Malcolm Marx (South Africa)<\/p>\n World Rugby Men\u2019s 15s Breakthrough Player of the Year:\u00a0Fabian Holland (New Zealand)<\/p>\n International Rugby Players Association Men\u2019s 15s Try of the Year:\u00a0Santiago Pedrero (Chile v Samoa, RWC 2027 qualifier)<\/p>\n World Rugby Coach of the Year:\u00a0John Mitchell<\/p>\n On the women\u2019s side:<\/p>\n International Rugby Players Association Women\u2019s 15s Try of the Year:\u00a0Maia Joseph (New Zealand v Ireland, RWC 2025 pool match)<\/p>\n World Rugby Women\u2019s 15s Player of the Year 2025:\u00a0Sophie de Goede (Canada)<\/p>\n World Rugby Women\u2019s 15s Breakthrough Player of the Year 2025:\u00a0Braxton Sorensen-McGee (New Zealand)<\/p>\n World Rugby Women\u2019s 15s Dream Team of the Year:<\/p>\n EDITORS PICKS:<\/p>\n ENGLAND PLAYER RATINGS VS ARGENTINA<\/p>\n 15 Freddie Steward \u2014 7<\/p>\n As per usual, was imperious in the air and offered a fair bit more elsewhere than is usually the case. Definitely a necessary selection given how much Argentina kicked it and justified his inclusion.<\/p>\n 14 Immanuel Feyi-Waboso \u2014 8<\/p>\n Showed the best of himself in the first half when he made the most of every time that he touched the ball, making up 138 metres with the ball in hand in the first 40 alone. Used his pace to cross the try line after receiving a cross kick from Ojomoh that was well weighted.<\/p>\n 13 Henry Slade \u2014 7.5<\/p>\n Made a very good tackle to stop an almost certain Pumas try after an attacker found a great line around 10 metres out. Not too involved beyond that until his 67th minute try that relieved a lot of England pressure after they found themselves only one point in front.<\/p>\n 12 Max Ojomoh \u2014 8<\/p>\n Had a very good first half, however he faltered a little bit in the second, like many of his teammates. Ran over for the first try of the match after latching onto a loose ball and sprinting over, before assisting the second with a perfectly weighted kick out to Feyi-Waboso. Assisted the third as well with a very well improvised offload while he was falling to the floor. Will be happy with his performance after being a late inclusion due to Fraser Dingwall\u2019s injury.<\/p>\n 11 Elliot Daly \u2014 6<\/p>\n Didn\u2019t manage to get his hands on the ball as much as he might have liked in his first match since the Lions tour injury. Only real highlight was a pretty simple catch that was dropped. Not at his best.<\/p>\n 10 George Ford \u2014 8.5<\/p>\n Showed his incredible game intelligence throughout the match with some unbelievable kicking that helped to open up the Argentina defence on a number of occasions. Was heavily involved in the Feyi-Waboso try with an intelligent switch pass to Ojomoh, for him to kick it over to the eventual try scorer. A missed penalty and drop goal were his only two real blemishes.<\/p>\n 9 Ben Spencer \u2014 7.5<\/p>\n Acquitted himself well in terms of box kicking, which was clearly the strategy going into the game. A few involvements defensively adds to what was a solid but slightly unremarkable showing.<\/p>\n CONTINUES ON PAGE TWO<\/a><\/p>\n Like this:<\/p>\n Like Loading…<\/p>\n