‘I’ve never met anyone like Pollock’ – George on England’s ‘brilliant idiot’

Henry Pollock, England’s 20-year-old back row player, is a “genuinely fascinating” character, according to Jamie George, who calls him a “truly fascinating” character.

Pollock made his England debut with two tries, appearing in the Champions Cup final, and being selected for the British and Irish Lions during a remarkable campaign last year that started on the bench for Northampton and ended with two tries.

With his lip-licking face-down of New Zealand’s haka and his participation in a celebratory TikTok dance last month just the latest in a string of viral moments, his on-pitch energy, exuberant celebrations, and unabashed confidence have made him a game’s star.

As part of a running joke between the two during this summer’s tour of Australia, Pollock’s Saints team-mate Fin Smith revealed on Wednesday that Pollock had sent images of Sexton crying after Ireland was knocked out of the 2023 Rugby World Cup.

Smith told the Saints Show that “Pollock and I had the funniest relationship with [Sexton] ever,” adding that “we just took the mick out of him the entire time.”

“Johnny was fantastic and had a good time with us as well,” he said.

Henry is unique because “I have never met anyone like him,” George said in Pollock’s Rugby Union Weekly.

He is an energy ball unlike anything I’ve ever seen, and he is unapologetically and completely self-assured.

He seems to have a crazy confidence. The 19-year-old child is in the room when he enters and tries to rule everything. It is insane.

In earlier England regimes, Pollock might have been able to express his personality freely, but George is unsure.

Former England players have voiced their disapproval of Eddie Jones, who led them until 2022. Danny Care, a retired scrum-half, claims that despite Jones producing results, the Australian oversaw a “toxic environment” with players and staff members who were constantly afraid to cross the line.

George questioned whether Pollock would have fit in in the past, adding, “I don’t know.”

Steve Borthwick, the current head coach, is a very clever bloke.

He may be having quiet conversations with Henry occasionally, but I really enjoy spending time with you at camp and feeling like you could be yourself.

“Henry is a hilarious bloke who we laugh at a lot, but there are obviously limits to some things you can do.

When we were in camp, I would always want to go back to my room or whenever I had the chance to go home, which is really not what I’ve been through in England.

George thinks that England’s friendly, welcoming environment is comparable to Saracens’ youth days.

During his time with Saracens, George has won three Champion Cups and six domestic titles.

The north London side, who were fired from the Championship in 2020 for breaking the salary cap, has concentrated on creating the best dressing room possible in the belief that performance is delivered.

At Saracens, England’s three most recent captains, the incumbent Maro Itoje and his predecessors, George himself and Owen Farrell, as well as Borthwick, his assistant Richard Wigglesworth and performance head Phil Morrow, all worked there.

“With England, it’s about spending time with each other, enjoying each other’s company, and pushing really hard on the field,” George said.