Phil Dowson defends Henry Pollock after East Midlands derby antics

Pollock endured a chaotic introduction after coming off the bench shortly after the 50 minute mark, entering the action just as hooker Craig Wright headed to the sin bin.

With no recognised hooker available, Pollock took over lineout throwing duties.

His first throw sailed over the target, before a second attempt to the front was penalised for not being straight.

Moments later, he attempted to spark a confrontation with the towering Hanro Liebenberg, which also failed to go his way.

All of that unfolded within a minute of his arrival. Before he had even completed a second minute on the field, referee Matthew Carley had warned him over pushing and shouting expletives, placing him on a final warning.

To compound matters, Freddie Steward ruffled Pollock’s hair before crossing for Leicester’s sixth try, capping a miserable afternoon for the visitors.

Dowson reflected on Pollock’s impact today, a few days after the match:

"I loved his energy, I loved his intensity. There's of course things I think he can manage better and do better.

"Geoff Parling after the game said that he loved their edge and I thought they were right at it, they were in our faces and they were very engaged in what they were doing and I don't think Henry was much different to that.

"He gets a lot of attention, the game was pretty feisty from start to finish. Because the camera's always pointed on Henry, he gets a lot of attention. I think he can do things differently, but I've got no qualms or issues with the way he went about his work."

Discussing the hostile reception Pollock receives from rival supporters, Dowson dismissed concerns that the boos could negatively affect the 21-year-old.

"He's been booed the whole of the season, particularly in France but by lots of sides. At Bath he was booed both games. I don't think he cares about the booing, I don't think it bothers him at all, I actually think he quite enjoys it at times."

The Saints boss also argued that the match itself was highly confrontational and that focusing solely on Pollock was unfair in a contest featuring five yellow cards and a 20-minute red card.

"We've got to be careful because all the players there, when any time there was a flashpoint, everyone's in… Loads of people did that yet we're talking about Henry and that you didn't like the way Henry did it.

"Everyone's gone in and had a bit of a ruckus and a tumble and Joe Heyes comes in and pushes two of our players and our player pushes back, two yellow cards. That happened but we're talking about Henry.

"I don't have any problem with how he held himself, I think he can do things differently and I think we can help him out as a playing group differently but I've got no qualms with him going toe-to-toe."