- The British & Irish Lions squad has been announced for the Western Force game
- Five players will make their Lions debut in Perth – including captain Dan Sheehan
- Pollock has been given a chance to start – here’s what it tells us about Farrell
The Lions simply don’t have enough time for futile experiments, so the decision to deploy Henry Pollock at No 8 is fascinating and means the English rookie must be a genuine Test contender.
When the tourists face Western Force at Optus Stadium on Saturday, it will be just three weeks until their series opener against Australia in Brisbane.
A storming performance by the youngest member of the British and Irish squad could propel him into contention to earn a place in the first-choice side for the internationals. Why not? He has been on an unstoppable rise, so there’s no reason why it can’t take him all the way into the Lions Test XV.
Having only turned 20 at the beginning of this year, Northampton back-rower Pollock has been on a remarkably rapid rise. An England debut at the end of the Six Nations yielded two tries.
Following that momentous personal landmark, he became even more influential for the Saints, not least in their epic Champions Cup semi-final win over Leinster in Dublin, when he scored a stunning solo try with a blistering break down the left flank.
Many of the men he and his club-mates conquered that day will be alongside Pollock this weekend, as Andy Farrell has brought in many of his late-arriving Irish contingent en masse. Operating from the base of the scrum, the ultra-confident tyro has the ability to wreak havoc, which may lead to Lions fans adopting his trademark headband look, which has become a familiar sight in the stands at Northampton and wherever the Saints have travelled in recent months.
In the pre-tour fixture against Argentina in Dublin last Friday, Pollock made his Lions debut as a fired-up replacement and was caught up in the tide of handling and defensive lapses which allowed the Pumas to snatch a 28-24 victory.
But, undeterred by the experience, he has been a typically exuberant presence since arriving Down Under and set about carefully protecting tour mascot BIL – a role always performed by the youngest player in the ranks.
On Tuesday, before an important Lions training session on the outskirts of Perth, Pollock bounded around the pitch joking with team-mates and staff, and repeatedly kicking rugby balls and footballs at the posts, with the air of a man who has supreme belief in his skills with the boot.
In fact, one of his eye-catching tries for Northampton after the Six Nations was a chip-and-chase effort against Sale up at Salford, which further demonstrated his rare repertoire at such a young age.
Really, why shouldn’t he come into the mix at No 8? He’s not a giant figure at the base of the scrum in the classical mould, but the Lions don’t have any of those. Ben Earl operated there in Dublin, as he has done so often for England, but he was unable to make a powerful claim on the position, so now the next chance falls to Pollock.
On the bench, Jack Conan will await his own opportunity, as the sole specialist, following the untimely injury which ruled Ireland captain Caelan Doris out of the tour. Conan has been a Test Lion before, he is an athletic carrier and a canny, experienced leader, but there is no sense at this stage that the No 8 shirt already has his name on it.
If Pollock ignites against the Force, it will add an intriguing twist to the selection equation in the middle of the back row. It is heartening to see head coach Andy Farrell give him his shot, knowing that the dynamic prodigy will bring an X-factor dimension to the visiting team.
Sure, he may make some mistakes, but there is every likelihood that he will be far more of an asset than a liability. Sure, it is a risk, but the Lions won’t amount to much if they don’t take a few of those.
There has already been a negative reaction to Pollock from certain ex-Wallabies in these parts. His performance against Argentina has drawn some dismissive Australian claims that the newcomer can’t hope to be in the Test mix, but he could make an impact in midweek. Pollock will doubtless relish the chance to make a mockery of such a verdict.
Meanwhile, it is understood that Lions captain Maro Itoje was deemed fully fit for selection but has been left out of this encounter with the Force, which is sure to raise questions about how he will be used and managed over the coming weeks. Playing in the Saturday team puts any player in what will become the Test rotation, so the absence of the skipper raises the possibility he will be on duty against the Reds in Brisbane next Wednesday.
That in turn will cast doubt on how Itoje can be integrated into the Saturday side, for subsequent weekend fixtures against the Waratahs in Sydney and an Australian-New Zealand invitational team in Adelaide on July 12 – a week out from the first Test.
There will be a plan, of course, which may involve a bench role in midweek before a return to starting duty. Time will tell, but as one of the few Test certainties, Itoje must be shrewdly managed.
Elliot Daly has been given a prime opportunity to prove his credentials at full-back, with a view to being a likely bench asset in the Test series, as someone who can cover 15, 13 and 11, while also offering long-range goal-kicking and vast experience.
And, with Hugo Keenan still not fully fit, any problem fast-tracking Blair Kinghorn into a tour debut after he has completed his commitments to Toulouse would leave the door open for Daly to push himself into starting contention.
The Lions midfield has a far more balanced look to it this time, after the clunky partnership between two heavy carriers in Dublin. Scotland captain Sione Tuipulotu will operate in his favoured role at inside centre but it might have made more sense to turn to his familiar side-kick, Huw Jones, rather than Ireland’s Garry Ringrose. But Jones has been unable to train fully, which surely explains why he is being held back as a replacement.
Another position which appears to be up for grabs is scrum-half, with Tomos Williams the sole Welsh player in this Lions XV, as due reward for his magnificent club campaign in the colours of Gloucester.
He has a chance to make a statement after Alex Mitchell struggled in the defeat against the Pumas, before Jamison Gibson-Park belatedly enters the fray after recovering from a nagging glute injury. If the Kiwi-Irishman is rusty after a lay-off, Williams could come through to claim the No 9 shirt.
