Mallett tells Pollard he has no excuse for errors after Bulls' URC final collapse

Handre Pollard’s error-ridden performance in the Bulls’ 36-7 URC final defeat to Leinster has drawn sharp criticism from former Springboks head coach Nick Mallett, who argued the 32-year-old flyhalf must hold himself to a near-flawless standard given the limits of his playmaking game.

Speaking on the Talking Boks podcast, Mallett said Pollard’s first half in the final was among the worst he had seen from the flyhalf, comparing it unfavourably to his disciplined showing throughout the 2023 Rugby World Cup. “He certainly didn’t have his best half. That first half was probably one where he made more mistakes than I saw him make in the whole of the 2023 World Cup,” Mallett said.

The former coach’s central argument was that Pollard, unlike a more creative operator such as Manie Libbok, does not possess the licence to take risks because his value lies entirely in precision. “He has to understand that his job is to be an error-free player. He can never make a mistake,” Mallett said. “He must never miss a tackle, never throw a poor pass and make sure his kicks go exactly where they’re supposed to go.”

Mallett singled out a kick that failed to find touch just before half-time as a moment that could have shifted momentum back toward the Bulls. “The kick that missed touch just before half-time, which could have brought them back into the game, wasn’t good enough. If he kicks a penalty to touch, there’s absolutely no excuse for not finding touch.”

Ex-Irish international Simon Zebo was equally unsparing, labelling Pollard’s display “terrible” in a verdict that reflected broader media reaction to the performance.

The criticism arrives at a pivotal moment in Pollard’s international career. He started last year’s Test against the All Blacks at Eden Park but was dropped after a subdued showing, returning only in November for a single start against Italy before Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu effectively claimed the No. 10 jersey. With Feinberg-Mngomezulu now sidelined for the foreseeable future, Pollard has been named in the Springboks squad alongside Libbok and uncapped rookie Vusi Moyo — who won the World Under-20 Championship with South Africa last year — for the upcoming July Nations Championship fixtures.

The door to reclaiming his Test starting berth is open, but Mallett’s message was unambiguous: Pollard must eliminate the very errors that defined his afternoon in Dublin if he is to walk back through it.