Handre Pollard Delivers

Good game today by Pollard, he provides more options than Morne Steyn.
He runs onto the ball at pace and questions the opposition defense by varying his depth and running angles. He showed some good distribution as well. 
Perhaps the main thing I dont like about Morne Steyn's game is that he can be pedestrian at first receiver. Morne Steyn has a decent passing game but usually when he takes the ball he is stationary or at walking speed. The opposition are not expecting him to look for a gap in the line. 
With a flyhalf like Pollard and Goosen who attack the advantage line it makes it harder for the opposition to defend as they cant just drift out to close the space down for the inside centre. 
Handre Pollard also has the physicality that Morne or Goosen does not have and was looking at bit like Henri Honnibal today.

Sharkbok
You hot the nail on the head insofar as the difference between Morne Steyn and Handre Pollard is concerned.   there is one further difference between Morne and Pollard - which is even more important.   Pollard reads the game better than Morne does and consequently can decide instinctively what the better options are insofar as plays are concerned.
For a flyhalf that ability is even of greater importance than the physicality Pollard brings to the game.   That is why a backline with Pollard and Goosen as pivots functions better than when Morne is in that position.

One other observation I made today - as was the case throughout the Under 20 WC - is that he never seems to be hurried - he seems to have time on his hands all the time even when under pressure.      
I in fact believes that the reason Stade Francais rarely uses Morne as their starting flyhalf centers around the latter point.   Morne must in advance be told what he must do during games - Pollard will receive the same instructions - but will vary them according to circumstances and not be robotic.
I like the youngster and think that the sooner he is phased into the Springbok team - the better.  

 I would go further. To me Pollard looks like a future great. He has it all. Could end up being better than Carter due to fact of his physicality. 
Its early days but one has not seen a young flyhalf of this class for many a year.

Well, the flood gates are open & the gushing praise for Pollard has started, lol - as predicted.
He had a very good game but it was against the Scottish developmental side, even Steyn would have run at their line. Even CleverMike would admit that -- well no he wouldn't but you get my drift

 JW please oak, dont try and tell me C arter was this good at 20!

Carter was far better of course. In any case it doesn't make sense to compare debuts, let's see how Pollard is doing after 12 years as a Bok.

 Look, Pollard was really good today. Refreshing actually!
But I agree with JW... why do we want to compare players at any stage of their careers?

Every player is unique and will offer more than other players in certain elements but lack in others.

Pollard looks incredibly calm! And he is only 20 so that bodes well for our future at 10.
With Goosen and Marnitz as backups, we have some reason to smile.

Thank you HM for being brave enough to blood the youngster today!

Happy week for me!

 #Cloudy Give credit were it is due.For a guy to represent the juniors in one week and then the seniors in another (while still clearly being a junior) is quite an achievement by any players standard and I think if Carter was asked to comment on the young man that he wouldn't have a bad word to say about him. In my honest opinion I think he can be very proud of his achievements thus far.

 #Cloudy I know what I said about him.Foe some reason the number 10 shirt for the Bokke is like the search for the Holy Grail...No one will ever be good enough.and it was clearly visible from Pollard that in some moments he was settled and in other(team setup and dynamics) he was an outsider.He did not have many friends...that was clear.Come the big games with little friends we might regret not letting him climb the ranks normally.I recall Carter started of the bench and in the inside center position for the All blacks. And yes thanx for your well-hearted comment on the other post.(wink)

Yep...well having endorsed Pollard while guys like Maaik and Sapp were still talking Goosen, I feel vindicated. Hell Cheesy still has  Goosen as his avatar....a fragile, nervy chap playing in France. How wrong can you be!
That said Pollards goal kicking is still a league below Morne...today for example, six points went a begging. He will have to improve in this area to be a RWC certainty. I think he will. 

 And you have "mozart" as an avatar...Tell me how do you expect us to take you serious with that look!?!? In the deepest sense of respect you are not doing yourself any favors with the female crowd...Anyway...Goosen just needs to heal.He is broken from a bad injury and he is trying to hard.Very talented but he needs to heal.

 Mozart
In a sepearte thread Sharkbok sums up Morne's game excellently.  He is good at goal kicking - but also not perfect.  His record is 80% accuracy as a rule - but he has been known to be much poorer as well.  
Morne's other qualities as a flyhald is way too poor to eb an international flyhalf.   Pollard showed yesterday why he is a better all round flyhalf than Morne and I hope that Meyer relizes now what is wrong with the Stade Francais reject. 
Despite the injury issue - Goosen is also a better all-round flyhalf than Morne and while h is in France will prove that he is the starting flyhald for Racing Metro - not the back up one like Morne.  
By the way Pollard missed two convers ions making up 4 points - not 6 as alleged by you.