Handre Pollard reveals shock call from Rassie Erasmus asking him to rejoin Springbok squad

By SABC Sport
4th November 2023

Handre Pollard has revealed he was busy mowing his lawn in Leicester when a call from Rassie Erasmus came through asking him to rejoin the Springbok World Cup squad.

Pollard admitted to being crushed when he missed out on initial selection for the World Cup due to not having fully recovered from his knee injury, calling it an "extreme low".

"Of course it was disappointing," he said. "We pushed as hard as we could to get me ready in time, but it was a few weeks too late to show the coaches that I was fit."

But as the Boks made their way through the pool stages in France, the 29-year-old was completing his comeback from injury, and he had barely returned to the field for his first taste of action with Leicester when the call from Erasmus came in.

The Springboks had suffered a major blow by losing their star hooker Malcolm Marx, and the Bok coaches had decided to use the available position in their squad to bring back their World Cup-winning flyhalf.

Pollard admits he could scarcely believe it when he heard Erasmus on the other end of the line.

"I was actually busy mowing my lawn in Leicester, getting ready for a game there for Leicester and Rassie phoned me." he revealed.

"I said to the manager, I said, are you serious, because I was in a bit of shock.

"Of course you hope for the goal, but you never really think you're going to get it and then to get it was just unbelievable.

"I was just super excited of course when that happened, just so happy."

The decision to recall Pollard proved to be a masterstroke as he ended up playing a massive role in the Boks' knockout victories at the World Cup, emerging with a flawless 100% kicking record.

The Springboks are currently in the midst of a four-day victory parade across South Africa as they celebrate their fourth World Cup trophy with their countrymen, who have been turning out in their thousands to show their appreciation.

With Gauteng and Cape Town already done and dusted, the Boks will head to Durban on Saturday before wrapping up the trophy tour in East London on Sunday.