Maxime Lucu warns Bordeaux must ‘neutralise’ Henry Pollock threat

By Andrew Baldock, PA Rugby Union Correspondent

Bordeaux-Begles captain Maxime Lucu has described English rugby’s man of the moment Henry Pollock as a player with “incredible qualities” and “a threat” to their Investec Champions Cup hopes.

First-time finalists Bordeaux tackle Northampton in Saturday’s Principality Stadium showdown, with Pollock and Saints targeting a tournament triumph the club last achieved five years before he was born.

Northampton back-row forward Pollock has only played 32 minutes of Test rugby, but he scored two tries on his England debut against Wales in Cardiff this season and has proved a pivotal figure behind Saints’ run to the Champions Cup final with seven touchdowns.

Such outstanding form underpinned his British and Irish Lions selection for this summer’s Australia tour, and 20-year-old Pollock’s startling impact has not gone unnoticed in south-west France.

“He is a very classy player,” Lucu told reporters at Bordeaux’s pre-match press conference.

“He has incredible qualities and he is a threat to us.

“When you talk about big players like that, it is important to neutralise them. He has got quality in attack and in defence.

“He runs a lot, he could play in the backs, and he has had a huge start to his career. We have to be wary of him.”

Exeter were the last English club to be crowned Champions Cup winners in 2020 while Saints last reached the final nine years earlier, being beaten by Leinster in Cardiff.

Pollock will line up at number eight in a Northampton matchday 23 boosted by the return from injury of England internationals George Furbank and Ollie Sleightholme.

Furbank, who broke his arm earlier this term and then took another blow on it during Saints’ quarter-final against Castres in mid-April, wears the number 15 shirt, with James Ramm switching to left wing.

Sleightholme, meanwhile, has not made a Saints appearance for five months but features on the bench, with Ramm – plus forwards Curtis Langdon and Alex Coles – all recovering from knocks to start.

Furbank has played only 52 minutes of rugby since December – all in the Castres game – but he is one of Saints’ most influential performers.

Asked if Furbank’s selection was a gamble, Northampton rugby director Phil Dowson said: “It’s always a gamble. Whenever you bring someone back from injury, there is always a point where they have got to hit somebody, make a cover tackle, or go flat out.

“There is always a risk there. They were a good 52 minutes. We are confident he can drop back in from a skills and confidence perspective.

“George hasn’t been a mile away. He has worked incredibly hard and the medics have clearly helped him through that.

“He brings leadership, quality, experience. We saw that when he came back in against Castres and had two assists and a try.

“Now, he is a fairly seasoned international and club captain. We all know what a consummate ball player he is, his talent is well-documented and hopefully we will see that.

“I think what was impressive (against Castres) was his ability to drop back into our game-plan and still see space and make good decisions.

“Nothing quite replicates a game, but his ability to do that straight off the bat was very impressive.”