No matter what he does, rookie Lions back-rower Henry Pollock seems to have a supernatural knack for dividing opinion. Even his off-the-bench debut in the famous red jersey couldn’t escape the social media spotlight — and not for reasons he’d have hoped.
While some fans loved the energy and passion from the 20-year-old Saint, others weren’t impressed by what they saw as some good old-fashioned showboating — especially after his performance took a dip.
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? “ABYSMAL” OR JUST AMBITIOUS?
Pollock’s cameo included a missed tackle and a turnover late on, which didn’t exactly help his case.
“Abysmal performance,” one fan wrote bluntly on X. “Missed tackle cost the try and stripped of the ball like a child at the end. Hard lines mate.”
Another echoed the criticism: “Instead of focusing on his role as a flanker he was trying to be the headline. Unfortunately, his missed tackle and stripped ball at the end which cost the Lions the game will be ignored.”
Ouch. Twitter was on fire — and Pollock was the kindling.
? LIGHTS, CAMERA, SELF-AWARE?
Some fans zoned in on the timing of Pollock’s outburst — not during a big play, but when he spotted himself on the screen.
“The kid knew he was on the screen and wanted the world to know he was coming on,” one poster claimed.
Another wrote: “Didn’t shout until he seen himself on the big screen — very good player but needs to concentrate on the game.”
"The kid knew he was on the screen and wanted the world to know he was coming on," commented a third."
? SOCIAL MEDIA SCRUM
But not everyone joined the takedown. A pocket of fans rallied to defend the young flanker, citing his age and the excitement he brings to a sport often labelled too stiff.
“Henry Pollock: social media at its worst,” one supporter wrote. “A 20-year-old kid having the time of his life and creating huge buzz around his sport. Just too much for some who’d prefer rugby to wither but uphold hypocritical sanctimonious ‘values’ rather than entertain and inspire a new generation.”
? MEDIA RATINGS: MIDDLING AT BEST
The press wasn’t sold either — most giving Pollock a very middle-of-the-road debut score:
- Balls 510: “Missed Albornoz in the build-up to Cordero’s try.”
- Flo Rugby 5/10: “Big cheers on the bench hype, but that missed tackle when Los Pumas broke away? Not great. On the bright side, a neat carry on the left and he was always sniffing out work, despite being well marked.”
- Rugby Pass 5/10: “Pumped and ready but no fireworks this time. Solid around the breakdown, no nerves on debut.”
- JOE 5.5/10: “Looked dangerous but that missed tackle leading to an Argie try was costly.”
? BIL THE TEDDY GETS A BREAK
But RUCK’s own verdict? A generous 7/10, courtesy of Deputy Editor Tom Sansom:
"The youngest Lion in the squad, Pollock put aside his duties of taking care of Bil the teddy to make his Lions debut. Received a solid ovation off the bench and was immediately involved with the ball in hand. Unafraid to test the waters of life as a Lion with a few involvements."
? FINAL WHISTLE: NOT PERFECT, BUT PROMISING
So, was it a dream debut? Not quite. But for a 20-year-old on rugby’s biggest stage, there were flashes of something more.
Yes, the missed tackle stung. Yes, the shout turned heads. But write him off now and you might be eating your tweets later.
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Four Lions players who flopped against Argentina in tour opener
#1. Luke Cowan-Dickie
Planet Rugby 4/10: "Did brilliantly wiggle through the tackles of Joaquin Oviedo and Juan Martin González but split the ball with the line begging. His lineout throws were wayward which severely disrupted the Lions’ flow. He was part of an excellent scrummaging effort, though."
Rugby Pass 5/10: "A fumble cost him the opening try of the 2025 Lions series off a Lions catch and drive. A few too many lineout howlers from the Cornishman, his Bluetooth connection with Itoje looking a tad unstable."
JOE 5/10: "An error-strewn performance. Dropped the ball over the line in the first half."
#2. Duhan van der Merwe
Rugby Pass 5/10: "A mixed bag from big Dewie. A couple of promising inside cuts opened his account, but the defensive ring rust was there to see, having very little recent rugby under his belt.
"Got beaten with an Ignacio Mendy inside step for Los Pumas’ opening five-pointer and was somewhat at fault for Los Pumas’ score just before halftime. Always drew defensive attention and made plenty of metres after contact."
JOE 5.5: "Made an awesome break in the first half, but from then on pretty much nothing went right for the Scot. Looked very dodgy, weak in the air, and a prime target to attack."
Telegraph 5/10: "Understandably rusty in his first game for almost three months. Finished the first period by losing possession, leading to a Pumas try, and was quiet in the second. Had started promisingly, stepping off his left to carve open the Pumas."
Flo Rugby 4/10: "Outside of a few early runs, the Scottish winger had a tough first outing. His defensive position exposed the Lions' backfield. In the air, he couldn’t quite get to grips with the high ball,s whilst his one-on-one tackling left a lot to be desired."
BALLS 5/10: "Superb line break, on six minutes, but missed a pass that would have put Mitchell away. Costly error after he was tackled led to Argentina try before the break. Not great under the high ball. An iffy game."
The Irish Times 5/10: "He was a mixed bag in the first half, hitting rucks and a great one-handed pass to Tommy Freeman early on. Was an early threat but was turned over going forward for the Albornoz try before half-time."
#3. Tom Curry
BALLS 5/10: "Hefty tackle, close to his own line, shut down try-scoring opportunity for Argentina. Some bright moments but too many were followed by errors. His decision to pressure Tomas Albornoz back-fired when he and Pollock were easily evaded and Argentina counter-attacked to score. Shelled an easy Furlong pass."
Flo Rugby 5.5/10: "Started the fixture strong and got through plenty of work with 12 tackles, 9 carries and a turnover. Unlike his top-line performances, he could never quite find that key impact moment, which would disappoint him."
#4. Marcus Smith
Flo Rugby 5.5/10: "Started the fixture strong and got through plenty of work with 12 tackles, 9 carries and a turnover. Unlike his top-line performances, he could never quite find that key impact moment, which would disappoint him."
Rugby Pass 5/10: "Scrappy enough for the Harlequin. Opened his 2025 Lions’ account with a poor kick chase and miss tackle and didn’t look terribly comfortable in the air either.
"Saw a bit of ball but was proved a limited counter-attacking threat. Didn’t force the game but did his best to remain involved from the back. Overall, an evening to forget."
The Irish Times 5/10: "Scrambled well for a kicked through ball at the end of the first halfbut wasn’t always solid under the high kicks. Caught out of position and didn’t read the threat when Santiago Cordero scored his second-half try."
Flo Rugby 5/10: "A truly frustrating evening for the England playmaker, who was ultra busy, had some flashes of pure brilliance, but was ultimately brutally exposed by the Pumas' kicking game. Unable to compete consistently in the air and getting caught out of position in the backfield highlighted why flyhalf remains his best position.
"The challenge for him will be whether he can work his way onto the bench as the back-up ten or even challenge for the starting position. With both Blair Kinghorn and Hugo Keenan in the squad, it is tough to envisage Smith getting the nod in the 15 shirt against a potent Wallabies kicking game."
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