Henry Pollock, total protagonist: rival provocation, yellow and tension in Northampton vs Castres

Northampton Saints’ 49-41 victory over Castres Olympique left a lot of fabric to cut, but all the flashes pointed to the same protagonist: the controversial Henry Pollock. In a round of 16 duel that had all the ingredients to raise the temperature, the young English third line was the preferred target of French frustration.

With his usual impudence, Pollock became a psychological nightmare for the French team. The first spark occurred after a quick penalty attempt by the winger, which was immediately neutralized by a multiple suffocating tackle. However, the moment of greatest tension came shortly after, when the second line Guillaume Ducat He lost his temper.

Ducat, visibly surpassed by the intensity of the English, attacked Pollock in a ruck with the arm close to the body. Referee Craig Evans did not hesitate: he considered the action reckless enough to show him the yellow cardforcing the Castres forward to watch the game for ten minutes from the sidelines.

But if Ducat’s yellow card exposed physical impotence, the moment that best reflected the mental wear and tear that Pollock exerted on his rivals came later. After an error in handling his own English near the goal line, the opening French Enzo Hervé stopped exclusively to clap in Pollock’s face in a way slow and sarcasticmocking the missed opportunity: the Rosa player did not echo the charge and continued the game as if nothing had happened.