@Springboks
Springbok flyhalf Handre Pollard will join the national team in Paris on Monday after being called into the squad to fill the vacancy created by hooker Malcolm Marx.
This was announced by SA Rugby on Sunday night following the comprehensive victory over Romania.
Pollard’s return to the Bok squad followed a successful return to the field on Friday for English club Leicester after a calf injury ruled him out of contention for World Cup selection.
Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber explained the decision to call up Pollard rather than a forward.
“We are confident with the cover we have at hooker with Bongi Mbonambi and Deon Fourie, and Marco van Staden has been slotting in the position since our alignment camps in February, so we opted to call up Handre, who has been in our system for years and who was a member of our team in 2019 when we won the World Cup.”
Nienaber said Pollard has been working hard to return to full fitness, and we are pleased that he now has some game time under his belt for his club, and this will allow him to slot back into the team.
“We’ll work closely with him in the next week to get him back up to speed and back into the full swing of things, and we have no doubt he’ll step up to the challenge.”
The Springboks will make the journey from Bordeaux to Paris on Monday where they will begin their preparations for Saturday’s round-three RWC clash against Ireland.
