Pollock shrugs off South Africa's taunts after sealing Northampton's Premiership title

Henry Pollock delivered a composed response to his South African critics on Saturday, producing a man-of-the-match performance as Northampton Saints beat Exeter Chiefs at Allianz Stadium to claim the Gallagher Premiership title — a victory that came eight days after he also starred in the play-off win over Leicester.

The 21-year-old flanker is set to feature prominently when England begin their July tour in Johannesburg on 4 July, but he arrives knowing he is a divisive figure in South Africa. Former Springboks flanker Schalk Burger has publicly dismissed him as a “TikTok dancer who plays a bit of rugby”, and Pollock is a frequent target for South African fans on social media.

Asked whether he understands the hostility, Pollock was unbothered. “No. They can talk all they want. I guess I keep showing up,” he said.

Pollock has often been framed as an X-factor player, a creator of individual moments rather than a workhorse. His performances in Northampton’s two biggest matches of the season challenged that characterisation directly, with his appetite for hard carries in the contact area standing out as much as any flashier contribution.

“People can talk all they want,” he said. “I have always said in my career that I don’t listen to outside noise, I don’t listen to people’s opinion. I’m very much locked into my role and my team, what I need to do for the team and the coaches.”

“You can have all these opinions about me, but I’m just trying to focus on what I do. At the end of the day, it’s white noise. It doesn’t matter to me, it doesn’t go into my brain.”

Pollock also reflected on the mentality required in knockout rugby, crediting the collective effort rather than his own individual contribution. “Semi-finals and finals are the games you want to step up in. Put your hand up and go forward and push the team with you. Ultimately we had a lot of boys who did that against Exeter and that’s the reason why we won.”

With the Premiership title secured and an England tour to South Africa on the horizon, Pollock will have the opportunity to answer his critics in the most direct way possible.