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Henry Pollock has enjoyed a huge 12 months, and after he added another clip to his ever-expanding showreel, could he top it with a place on the British and Irish Lions tour to Australia?
On Friday, the 20-year-old scored a memorable try during Northampton Saints’ 27-24 defeat to Sale.
It came a fortnight after he made his England debut against Wales in Cardiff, an occasion he marked with two tries.
Australia or Argentina Bound?
Pollock’s form will have made Lions coach Andy Farrell sit up and take notice. He has gone from someone who was expected to tour Argentina with England, to someone with a realistic chance to travel down under.
After all, Lions tours are all about the here and now. It’s not about planning for the next Six Nations or the World Cup. Farrell and his coaching team have six weeks to get it right.
You need in-form players, not those who need to play themselves into form.
Crucially Pollock’s last two matches for Northampton have come at Number 8, rather than openside flanker where he played for England, and where Farrell is replete with choice.
During the Guinness Men’s Six Nations, Ireland’s Caelen Doris was the best of the home nation eights and someone Farrell knows well.
Champions Cup Challenge
However, neither England’s Tom Willis, Scotland’s Matt Fagerson, nor Wales’s Taulupe Faletau made an overwhelming case for inclusion, while Ben Earl is likely to travel as a flanker.
A player who can excel in multiple position is a huge asset for a Lions coach, and Pollock has shown he is one of those players.
Crucially for Pollock, the Saints are still in the Champions Cup meaning he has more high profile matches to impress in.
It means that the further Saints go, the greater the chance that Pollock will have the ultimate end to an already fairytale year.