Handre Pollard eager to express himself upon Springbok return

Handre Pollard said he is not expecting miracles as he prepares to make his first start for South Africa in more than a year but hopes he can make a valuable contribution.

Sunday's match is not only a huge one for the team in their quest to qualify for the Rugby World Cup knockout stages, but it's also a very significant match for Pollard, who will don the No 10 jersey for the first time since August last year following calf and knee injuries.

It's a challenge that massively excites Pollard, but he also wants to adopt a realistic mindset in terms of his expectations of himself, considering he has played little more than 30 minutes of club rugby since returning from injury.

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"It's unbelievable to be back in the team and in this environment, and I'm trying to enjoy every day," said the flyhalf.

"The calf injury I suffered was supposed to keep me out for four weeks and it ended up being three months.

"Not being selected for the World Cup squad was tough, but such is life. The coaches told us to remain positive and I was lucky to get the call.

"I'm realistic about this weekend. Playing 30 minutes of club rugby is very different to playing in a World Cup. I just want to express myself, although I know it won't be perfect."

Selected matches will also be available on SABC Sport.com's live streaming channel

Springbok captain Siya Kolisi also welcomed his team-mate back with open arms and said they would try to make his job as easy as possible on Sunday.

"I'm looking forward to working with Handre again. He's experienced, he has a strong personality and he's a general at No 10. We all want him to enjoy himself and not have to play under too much pressure, and we'll try to put him in a position to do so."

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