All Blacks icon Dan Carter says the Springboks will miss the big-match temperament and experience of flyhalf Handre Pollard at the World Cup.
One of three big omissions from the Boks’ World Cup squad, Pollard was left out of South Africa’s final 33 due to a calf injury.
There has been talk that Jacques Nienaber could yet include the Boks’ 2019 World Cup general in their title defence, and Pollard has returned to full training with his club Leicester Tigers, as he steps up his comeback before rugby’s showpiece in France.
While Nienaber confirmed that Pollard was in a “return-to-play” phase of his recovery, the Bok head coach has downplayed the 29-year-old’s involvement in the upcoming tournament.
Nevertheless, Carter has lamented the absence of Pollard for the Boks, as well as injured France playmaker Romain Ntamack, while the Kiwi legend tips Ireland’s Johnny Sexton and New Zealand’s Richie Mo’unga.
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“Oh, jeez, I went straight to, not because I think he’s the best flyhalf, but, obviously, because of what Romain Ntamack is going through at the moment,” the World Cup winner told SportsJOE.
“Having such a serious injury right leading into a World Cup game is devastating. His form for Toulouse has been incredible. His combination with Antoine Dupont has been amazing. So really sad to see him go.
“Also, Handré Pollard – you know that he’s going to perform in big moments in the World Cup [knockout] games. So, he’s a huge loss for the Springboks to not have him there, because he would have learned so much from 2015, you know, when he played in his first World Cup and then obviously turned things around and really drove the Springboks to victory in 2019.
“So, he’s a huge, huge loss. A couple of the top ones are not going to be there.”
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Carter added: “The way that [Sexton’s] evolved his game, it’s similar to myself.
“He’s not gonna be scoring tries from 50 metres out, you know, beating five or six defenders to score the match-winning try. But his ability to control the game and influence the game has been huge for Ireland over the last few years and the big reason why they’ve been so successful is because of his game management and the way he directs the team around the field.
“He’s such a pivotal, influential player. So, hopefully, you know, he can find some form and get back from his injury and the setbacks that he’s had recently because he’s a big part of that squad.”
“And, Richie Mo’unga. Jeez, he can light it up. We just need the All Black forward pack to really be dominant.
“If you can give him good go-forward ball, he can rip any team up, at any time. His combination with Beauden Barrett is a really important one, in terms of the game plan that they’re trying to play. If you give him some front-foot ball, his skillset can turn any team around.”
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