Anthony Watson: Why Henry Pollock has to start for England against Springboks

At the heart of the pre-match build-up, has been the discourse upon what role Henry Pollock will play on this weekend, and whether England head coach Steve Borthwick will start the Northampton Saints man against South Africa.

Weighing in on the discussion, former England and Lions wing Anthony Watson believes that you have to separate Pollock's on-field performances from his larger than life character. Watson, speaking with CasinoLyze, expressed how the back row has to start this Saturday at Ellis Park.

"When you talk about Henry Pollock, you have to separate the emotional side of it in terms of how people feel about him and his antics from the actual rugby player. I'm a fan of both, by the way!

"But when we look at the rugby player and what he actually does on the pitch, then I personally think that he has to start against the Boks. And the reason I say that is because your big players stand up in big games.When you have someone like Henry Pollock who has now shown across a semi-final and a final with man of the match performances, that when the pressure's on, he stands up and he goes. For me, that says a lot about the rugby player and his ability to kind of compartmentalise the fixture at hand.

"So, from man of the match in two straight games to sitting on the bench, that would be a tough pill to swallow. He has to start. And he'll rise to the occasion. Every time he's been questioned ahead of going into hostile environments, he's done well. He's shown that he's a man for the big occasions, and his performances have been unbelievable the last month or so.

"He's one of the best things that's happened to rugby in the last two or three years. The game needs players who split opinion, and he does that. But love him or hate him, we'll be tuning in to see him either get filled in or to see him perform and prove people wrong. That is what sport's about; it's about drama. And we need personalities who are going to create drama."

Another man in the England camp that has caused plenty of online discourse in the lead up to the Nations Championship, is that of Benhard Janse van Rensburg. The South African-born centre split the rugby social media sphere down the middle, with plenty of debate regarding whether the Bristol Bears man should play for England, after completing the required five-year residency.

There's no denying that van Rensburg has been in tremendous form throughout the recent PREM Rugby season, with the centre earning his first uncapped England honours in an England XV match against France XV a few weeks ago. Watson believes that it isn't fair to hound the criticism upon van Rensburg, given how plenty of overseas-born talents have starred for England in the past.

"There is so much debate about his eligibility." Watson said. "I don't really have a tough stance on it. The likes of Brad Barritt have done it before. If you make an argument for or against van Rensburg, then I think that you are discrediting a lot of the players who have come before him. And I don't think it's fair.

"He may have grown up wanting to play for South Africa, but things change when opportunities are presented in front of you. Fans will take a view of it because they're very passionate about their sport and their country. But I don't think you can hold anything against someone who is wanting to experience the highest level of rugby and is also wanting to do what's best for him and his family. So, my stance is fair play to him. If he deserves to play for England and he's the best player for that position, then so be it. That's the way it goes."

Steve Borthwick will name his side to take on the Springboks tomorrow, with speculation continuing to grow that van Rensburg could make his full senior England debut against the nation of his birth. Regardless of who is selected for the match day 23, the England team will want nothing more than a strong result to get themselves back on the right foot following an underwhelming 2026 Six Nations campaign.

England sunk to a fifth-placed finish in the table, with only a win over Wales to show for a miserable campaign. Borthwick's side succumbed to a first ever defeat to Italy to rub salt into the wounds, with Watson eager to see his former side return to the same winning form that was displayed throughout England's incredible run towards the back-end of 2025.

"I was surprised by the [Six Nations] results, and I was surprised at the lack of attacking intent. In the Autumn Nations, England had shown a bit of variability in the way that they can play the game. In my opinion, the criticism has been slightly overdone. But you get that when you play for England and you're coach of England. Everyone expects you to win, and rightly so.

"But calls for Steve to go or for others to be dropped were way off. Everyone is extremely irrational when England lose; sometimes you've got to have a bit of patience. And we saw in that last game against France what can be done. I understand that supporting your national team is an emotional experience, but it makes me laugh how quickly people change their tune. I think that they'll take a lot from that France game and show that they can mix it with the very best in the world.

"But the big thing for me to highlight is that attacking intent and being able to see that. When an England team is trying to take it to the opposition and they're trying to impose themselves, people will accept a loss, however hard that might be to take, as long as they can see a vision going forward."

Despite the recent run of results for England, Watson hammered home how he believes that Borthwick remains to be the right man for the job and see England through a promising 2027 Rugby World Cup campaign. Having played under Borthwick at Leicester Tigers and within the England squad, Watson has plenty of experience to call upon regarding the under-pressure head coach.

"There have been many highs and lows with Steve. I am perfectly mature enough to say that I'm biased when it comes to talking about Steve because he brought me to Leicester and he brought me back into the England fold. I think he's an unbelievable coach, as diligent as I've ever seen.

"But in terms of the pressures that are on him, the England job is a thankless job. You win and everyone says, ‘Well done but that was to be expected.’ You lose and everyone is calling for your head. It was Eddie Jones who came out and said something like, the England job is just about a matter of time until you get fired.

"For Steve, it has to be about trying to keep the performances as good as they can for as long as they can. But Steve is extremely level-headed, and all his focus won't be on him and him keeping his role; it's about the team. He's a massive, massive ‘team first’ guy. His entire focus will be on South Africa at the weekend. All he wants to do is win and win for England."