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Springbok Pollard set to land £1m-a-season move - reports

Springboks outhalf Handre Pollard. (Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)

Springbok and Bulls flyhalf Handre Pollard could be heading to France at the end of this year’s Rugby World Cup in Japan in what would be a major blow for the South African Rugby Union’s new contract model.

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Sale were set to add prop Steven Kitshoff to their squad after the World Cup, but a counter offer was put together by the Union. Stormers and a local businessman which RugyPass understands was worth £650,000 – which was £150,000 more than the Sale contract each season..

According to Netwerk24 Pollard is reportedly wanted by Montpellier with the French Top 14 team offering around £1m a season.

Reports from South Africa suggest Montpellier have been in contact with Pollard over the past few days and offered him a contract worth about R20 million (£1.09m) a season. Alfonso Meyer, CEO of the Blue Bulls Company, said there has been no official offer but the Bulls were aware of Montpellier’s interest in their player.

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Pollard’s contract with the Bulls expires at the end of October and moving to Europe is no longer an end to a player’s Springbok career with current head coach Rassie Erasmus happy to select players such as Faf de Klerk, Francois Louw and Willie le Roux from the Gallagher Premiership

Pollard, 25-year-old, has won 39 Test caps, has been on the Bulls’ books since 2013 and is likely to play a vital role in the Springboks’ World Cup challenge later this year.

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The new SARFU contracting arrangement has already been attacked by former Springbok assistant coach Brendan Venter who believes rewarding 75 players using succession planning would only help those at the top with players lower down the ladder suffering.

In other news: France say no to foreign coach.

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Nickers 15 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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