"Larger than life" - Steve Borthwick recalls first memory of Henry Pollock

It is a significant moment for the 21-year-old Northampton back row, whose previous seven caps have all come from the bench, and it comes in a match that will also see captain Maro Itoje earn his 100th cap.

Head coach Steve Borthwick has made three changes to the starting XV following the 31-20 defeat by Scotland at Murrayfield. Pollock is promoted to the starting line up, with Ben Earl switching to openside flanker and Tom Curry returning on the blindside. Sam Underhill and Guy Pepper provide reinforcements among the replacements.

Pollock made an impact when introduced against Scotland, bringing much-needed bringing energy and urgency to England’s forward play. With the side searching for greater dynamism and variety in attack, Borthwick has decided that now is the right time to give the young back row his opportunity from the first whistle.

Borthwick’s belief in Pollock stretches back to his earliest days in charge of England. Recalling their first meeting, he painted a vivid picture of a teenager already brimming with personality.

"Two years ago, maybe longer, I went up to Franklin’s Gardens and met the players who were in the senior squad. Already Henry Pollock was barely out of school but I was told when you’re up there you should meet Henry Pollock, a young player, a huge future ahead of him, he’s not yet played for the first team but you should meet Henry Pollock.

"I was stood in the car park and this bundle of energy and just bounced up to me and typically when an 18-year-old meets the England head coach for the first time they are usually on the shy and retiring side. But this man is the complete opposite, gregarious, loud, the first thing he said was, ‘how are you, mate?’. I thought, right, you’re different. Wonderfully different and that’s the kind of character we’ve got in the squad. He’s larger than life, isn’t he? Just wants to do well, wants to express himself."

That self confidence has been matched by decisive moments on the field. Beyond the obvious tries scored and high-profile moments, Borthwick highlighted a European tie between Northampton and Munster at Franklin’s Gardens in January 2025 as an underrated example of Pollock’s mindset.

"The one moment that stands out, of the many, is Northampton at Franklin's Gardens against Munster, and the game's incredibly tight and Henry comes on late in the game. And he goes and wins a jackal turnover, a jackal penalty, that effectively closes the game, or gives Northampton the field position that they then win the game from.

"Most young players in that kind of situation, I have seen a lot of players come on, the game's tight, you make a mistake that could cost the team the game, and they choose not to do something. Because they'd rather not do something than make a mistake. And Henry Pollock came on and just thought about winning - how do I help my team win this game. And I love that. I thought that was a tremendous moment that tells you about the character of someone."

Against Ireland, Borthwick wants Pollock heavily involved.

"I want Henry to get the ball in his hands. I want him to find the ball as often as possible. Ben Earl had more than 20 carries last weekend, and I want Henry to have as many carries as possible as well. If we do that, it’s another string to the bow of this team."

Pollock’s personality has also made him a central figure beyond the pitch. After Northampton’s defeat to Bordeaux Begles in last season’s Champions Cup final, he found himself the target of opposition jibes and social media mockery. Rather than shrink, he appeared to feed off the attention.

“He seems to thrive on that doesn’t he? It seems to just keep fuelling more of the energy that is within him. I find it incredible watching him – there are not many players like him.

“We want superstars in the game. There was a group watching us training today and part of the group were a few young kids. And I started chatting to these younger guys about who they are looking at and who their favourite players are. Whether it is Marcus Smith, and there were a couple of guys from Norfolk so they were Freddie Steward and JVP and it was Henry Pollock. You want superstars that kids want to watch.

“Kids arrive at Allianz Stadium now with the tape around their heads. He has a connection with people. He is a fantastic young man, he is going to get even better as a rugby player. Clearly the work he has done with the coaches at Northampton has been wonderful. We want superstars in our game.”