Its bad enough him playing Currie Cup after a heavy workload thgis year but to play him at center!!! The mind boggles - surely there can be no question that his future is at flyhalf. Here we have potentailly the greatest flyhalf to arrive on the scene for many years.
Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer would probably rather want Handre Pollard not to play, but the Vodacom Blue Bulls wunderkind’s possible shift into the midfield could well work out well long-term for the Springboks.
Burger Odendaal’s fractured arm means that he will be out for between 8 and 12 weeks, ending his season in the a tragic way for the inside centre, and leaving the Bulls with a tough decision or two before they take on Western Province in their Absa Currie Cup semifinal at Newlands on Saturday.
Odendaal has been one of the finds of the Bulls backline this season, and has certainly been a threat on attack for the side, with opposition defences having to watch him very carefully.
But without a back-up that has played all season, the Bulls now will look to Pollard to fill the gap at 12, much like he did two years ago for the SA under-20 side.
Pollard is on record in saying he prefers to play at 10 and didn’t enjoy his time at 12 in the IRB Junior World Championship, yet Meyer has publicly said more than once that he sees Pollard as a player that can also play at 12 for the Springboks in future.
If Pollard is moved to 12 and he is successful, it could give Meyer an extra option ahead of the Rugby World Cup next year, and at the very least, the Bok coach will have the chance to study his flyhalf’s play in the position.(There are other options other than playing Pollard at center)
New Zealand sides often find success by using a second five-eighth, or second flyhalf as their playmaker at 12, something South African sides have not done over the years but it is something that Meyer has been eyeing for a while now.
The Bulls certainly have other options, although the wisdom of bringing in a player who hasn’t played at this level for a playoff match will weigh heavily on their minds.
Ulrich Beyers has shifted to 12 and did so in the game against Griquas, and with his boot is a key man that can easily fill the void, while SA under-20 star Jesse Kriel can also slot into 12 if the Bulls feel the need.
Kriel’s twin brother Daniel played exceptionally well for the SA under-20s in the position as well, while former SA under-20 midfielder Ruhan Janse van Rensburg can also slot into the position.
Chances are though, that the Bulls are likely only to use Pollard there, with coach Frans Ludeke hinting at it after the game.
“We’ll look at our options, we’ve played against Province a long time ago in the competition so we have been focusing on other teams. We will make that decision in the week to come,” Ludeke said, adding that Pollard was the only real option at the moment.
“On Burger, he made a huge step up. When it was needed, he really made a difference in the midfield this season. He is creative, and he is a threat on the gainline and always got the forwards on the front foot. It is a pity he won’t play but hats off to him for what he has done.”
There was good news on the ankle injury to Piet van Zyl, which wasn’t as bad as expected and will see the scrumhalf train again on Thursday, putting him in contention for selection this coming weekend.
With the playoffs looming, it will be interesting to see if Ludeke sticks with his rotation policy at scrumhalf and hooker, or if he plays the two in-form players in Rudy Paige and Bongi Mbonambi ahead of Van Zyl and Callie Visagie respectively.
