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Henry Pollock's message to Wallabies around sledging on tour

Henry Pollock looks on during the British & Irish Lions Captain's Run ahead of the 1888 Cup international match against Argentina at Aviva Stadium on June 19, 2025 in Dublin, Ireland. (Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)

British and Irish Lions rookie Henry Pollock has said he’s looking forward to the sledging that is likely coming his way as he looks forward to the tour of Australia.

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The Lions take on Argentina at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin on Friday night, but thoughts are inevitably drifting to the tour proper on Australian soil. Being a sports-mad nation, and one known for brutal verbal exchanges on and off the field, it is fully expected that the Lions will face their fair share of sledging from the natives.

A brash player who wears his heart on his sleeve, Pollock says he will in fact relish the exchanges.

“I think England vs Australia is always a massive rivalry, in any sport. You look at the Ashes, it’s always fiery and heated. And I think in this Lions series, it’s definitely going to be that,” the back-row told The i Paper.

“So, yeah, that’s the part of the game that I love, and that’s the part of the game I relish. So I’m looking forward to that part of it. And, yeah, whatever comes, comes.

“At Saints, some of the boys and me, we just joke around what we’re going to do if we should score a try. The main thing I will think about is trying to play well, perform well, do your role as much you can for the team. The other stuff will kind of showcase itself.”

“It’s [always] been in me. School, family… always been outgoing, always been the loudest in the room. We played charades at Christmas and loads of board games. But I can’t pin it down, I’d just say I was very well brought up by my parents, and very close to my siblings, and it just gave me lots of confidence. Growing into myself and growing into my character, it just kind of came upon me.

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“I had a little leadership at school, I was captain of the younger rugby teams, when I was 14, 15. I enjoyed the competitiveness of it. Just loved always being hurt, and always going to dark places, and relished off that.

“And yeah, I want to put on a good show. I want to get the fans close to the game, make them enjoy it as much as I can. It’s something different to what rugby’s used to, and hopefully I’m changing it a little bit. At the end of the day, we want this game to be packed-out in stadiums, we want fans selling tickets out in seconds. Anything that we can do, players wise and the team, to make that happen is only going to grow the sport more.”

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3 Comments
I
IkeaBoy 27 days ago

He neither confirms nor denies if he will again run to the officials once “whatever comes, comes”.


Still, lovely thought of him doing his little celebration while winning at charades against his family.

J
Jacque 28 days ago

Big mouth now until some1 gets him by the throat - AGAIN.

20 year old CHILD.

G
GH 28 days ago

yes, reading the paper I thought that he was lucky to live in our days. Twenty years ago he would have his angel face ruined.

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C
CO 25 minutes ago
Are other All Blacks better suited to number six than Tupou Vaa'i?

Some Bok supporters might argue in vain but Vaa’i is the model that superseded the previous model known as the Pieter-Steph du Toit.


Hansen's pack got beaten to a pulp in 2019 by the English pack and it would've made zero difference who started at six.


Believing that Scooter starting at six was because they lost that semifinal ignores the reality that Hansen had overstayed his welcome as head coach and having effectively lost the Lions tour and become besotted with SBW should've been fired in 2017 and replaced with any one of Rennie, Schmidt or Joseph.


Both Nonu and Kaino should've been in that 2019 squad. Proven world cup final starters.


Frizzell is never getting the six jersey, he had a shocker of a world cup final and is yesterday's man dining out on one good performance against the Bok B team at Mt Smart. Frizzell is a myth.


The Allblacks current pack needs to bulk up due to it having a lot of small back rowers and no, Finau is not good enough to start, he's not direct enough or punishing enough.


The Allblacks need to stop anointing Sititi as the greatest thing since sliced bread, he's done very little this year, Christian is looking very solid at eight and seven is Saveas best spot to keep Christian starting.


Rassie is using loosies at hooker and so should the Allblacks. Playing Vaa’i at six isn't three locks, it's ensuring size to counter the other tier one packs and Vaa'i is fantastic at six.


Kirifi is okay but again hasn't done much and is too little, Lakai and Kirifi shouldn't be in the squad together.

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