Handre Pollard praised by Mzwandile Stick after South Africa injury setback

Springbok assistant coach Mzwandile Stick has praised Handre Pollard for being honest about his fitness before South Africa’s second Test against the All Blacks in the Greatest Rivalry Series.

Pollard sustained a calf injury during training on Wednesday and has been replaced in the starting XV by Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu for Saturday’s match at Cape Town Stadium. Manie Libbok has been named on the bench.

Stick said Pollard, who has been in strong form and played an important leadership role within the squad, admitted during the training session that he did not feel right.

“It [Pollard’s injury] happened on Wednesday and he went for testing, so I can’t say exactly how long he’ll be out,” said Stick.

“I feel for him, and hopefully he recovers quickly, but what I admire is that a leader like Handre was honest about how he was feeling and had the courage to say he didn’t feel right during the training session.

“At that moment in the training session, I could see he was going through tears.

“I know it’s a sad thing to lose a player like Handre. He’s been in good shape, he’s been working very hard, he’s been positive and trying to assist the guys,” Stick added.

Pollard’s absence is a significant setback for the Springboks, particularly because he was also the team’s designated goal-kicker on the eve of the match.

Feinberg-Mngomezulu is capable of kicking at goal, but Stick acknowledged that he is not as consistent as Cheslin Kolbe, who has been brought into the starting line-up and is expected to assume kicking responsibilities in Cape Town.

With rain forecast for Saturday, Kolbe’s greater reliability from the tee could prove important for the home side.

Kolbe’s inclusion was one of two changes confirmed on Friday. Kurt-Lee Arendse has been replaced on the wing, with Arendse dropping out of the squad altogether.

Stick explained that both players had failed to finish the previous week’s game, while the coaching staff did not yet have a complete medical assessment on Kolbe when the team was initially selected.

“Both of those players didn’t finish last week’s game, and as a coaching team we do our team selection on a Sunday, but at that stage we didn’t have a final medical report on Cheslin.

“Our team policy, however, is that if a player can train fully on a Monday, there’s no reason not to select him, and Cheslin did that and went well through the week, which is why we made the change.”

The late injury to Pollard has not altered South Africa’s preparation for the second Test, although it means Feinberg-Mngomezulu will take on increased responsibility in the starting team.

The match at Cape Town Stadium will kick off at 17:10 on Saturday.

Immediate analysis of the second Test between the Springboks and New Zealand will be available after the final whistle through the Tap ’N Go.