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It’s no secret that Henry Pollock has taken to senior rugby effortlessly, but the man most responsible for his rise reckons there’s still room for improvement.
Phil Dowson, Northampton Saints’ Director of Rugby gave Pollock his senior bow earlier this season, after he had graduated through the Saints academy and England age-grade teams.
After his Saints debut, flanker Pollock scored twice on his England debut, scored a try to help take Saints to the Investec Championship Cup final, and is an increasingly strong bet to travel to Australia with the British and Irish Lions.
MORE TO COME
Despite the praise though, Dowson told BBC’s Rugby Union Weekly that he shouldn’t be considered the finished product yet.
“He’s one of those players that you would hate to play against but would love to play with,” Dowson said. “You never want to limit somebody with that ability, but at the same time there is stuff in his game he could be better at.
“He probably dips into too many breakdowns because he’s really good over the ball. He probably takes himself out of the defensive line too much. Because he’s so good over the ball he doesn’t go contact first.”
Pollock, 20, has already shown that he is ready to compete with Ben and Tom Curry, Ben Earls, and Sam Underhill for a place in England coach Steve Borthwick’s backrow.
PERFECT MENTOR
Dowson knows about backrow play. He captained Saints to the 2014 Premiership title and won seven England caps.
It means that Pollock is in secure hands as he develops his career.
“You look at the Curry brothers,” Dowson added. “They are built and physically he can still develop, but he can see the game and has an outrageous skill set.
“He’s happy to do those things, and happy to make those errors. He’s not awed by it or worried by what people think about it.”