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'Leading 10 in the world' Handre Pollard flies home from Australia

Bulls' Handre Pollard is heading to France after the World Cup (Photo by Lee Warren/Gallo Images/Getty Images)

Flyhalf Handre Pollard, who played a key role in a rare away success for the Bulls in Australia last week, is returning home after injuring his calf and will miss the next three Super Rugby matches.

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Team captain Pollard picked up the calf strain in training this week ahead of Friday’s clash against the ACT Brumbies, the Bulls said in a statement on Wednesday.

His return to South Africa means he also misses the last two of the Bulls’ four-match swing through Australia and New Zealand.

They beat the Melbourne Rebels last Friday, with the 25-year-old Pollard kicking 12 points in the 32-17 victory that took the Bulls top of the South African conference.

But he now also misses key matches against Auckland Blues on May 31 and Otago Highlanders on June 7 before the Bulls return home for the last regular season match at home to neighbours the Lions on June 15.

Duane Vermeulen will lead the Bulls in Canberra on Friday while Pollard’s place is taken by 21 -year-old Manie Libbok.

“Handre is probably in the leading 10 in the world at the moment, so to take over from him is not easy, but Manie has done well for us when he took to the field this year and I have the utmost confidence in him this weekend,” said Bulls coach Pote Human.

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“He is an exciting young talent and we are looking forward to watching him grow. He would not be around if he was not good enough, that is for sure.”

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Nickers 25 minutes ago
Scott Robertson responds to criticism over All Blacks' handling errors

I thought we made a lot of progress against that type of defence by the WC last year. Lots of direct running and punching holes rather than using width. Against that type of defence I think you have to be looking to kick on first phase when you have front foot ball which we did relatively successfully. We are playing a lot of rugby behind the gain line at the moment. They are looking for those little interchanges for soft shoulders and fast ball or off loads but it regularly turns into them battering away with slow ball and going backwards, then putting in a very rushed kick under huge pressure.


JB brought that dimension when he first moved into 12 a couple of years ago but he's definitely not been at his best this year. I don't know if it is because he is being asked to play a narrow role, or carrying a niggle or two, but he does not look confident to me. He had that clean break on the weekend and stood there like he was a prop who found himself in open space and didn't know what to do with the ball. He is still a good first phase ball carrier though, they use him a lot off the line out to set up fast clean ball, but I don't think anyone is particularly clear on what they are supposed to do at that point. He was used really successfully as a second playmaker last year but I don't think he's been at that role once this year. He is a triple threat player but playing a very 1 dimensional role at the moment. He and Reiko have been absolutely rock solid on defence which is why I don't think there will be too much experimentation or changes there.

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