Springbok captain Siya Kolisi underwent knee surgery recently and looks set to miss The Rugby Championship, and – in a worst-case scenario – the World Cup in France.

While the loss of the inspirational skipper would be keenly felt, it’s encouraging to note how other senior players such as Handré Pollard (Leicester Tigers) and Duane Vermeulen (Ulster) have stepped up for their respective clubs over the past few months.

Pollard has been at the heart of Leicester’s mini-resurgence and will be a key man for the Tigers in the English Premiership semifinals that start on 13 May.

After a relatively quiet 2022 season, Vermeulen has produced some gargantuan performances for Ulster in the latter stages of the United Rugby Championship. Pollard and Vermeulen – and another former Bok captain in Eben Etzebeth, who is recovering from a shoulder injury – should form part of a strong and experienced leadership core when the national team comes together ahead of the Rugby Championship.

Siya Kolisi of the Cell C Sharks during the United Rugby Championship match between Cell C Sharks and Munster at Hollywoodbets Kings Park on 22 April 2023 in Durban, South Africa. (Photo: Steve Haag Sports / Gallo Images)

Duane Vermeulen of South Africa gestures during the Rugby World Cup 2019 Final between England and South Africa at International Stadium Yokohama on 2 November 2019 in Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan. (Photo: Craig Mercer / MB Media / Getty Images)

Eben Etzebeth celebrates after the Springboks’ Autumn International against England at Twickenham on 26 November 2022. (Photo: Paul Harding / Getty Images)

Fighting back from injury

Pollard himself is all too familiar with ­anterior-cruciate ligament tears and corrective surgeries. He spent nearly 18 months on the sidelines across the 2016 and 2017 Test seasons, and then picked up another serious knee injury shortly after joining Montpellier in 2020.

There were two significant injury setbacks in the 2022 season. Pollard was forced from the field in a Rugby Championship Test against Australia in Adelaide, and again when making his debut for Leicester. The latter injury led to his missing the Boks’ four-Test tour of Europe.

The Boks enjoyed mixed fortunes in the absence of their first-choice flyhalf and goal-kicker, losing to Ireland and France, but impressing in the big wins against Italy and England.

Leicester, however, only started to hit their stride once Pollard fought his way back to full fitness. After a poor start to the English club season, the Tigers rebounded to record a series of impressive victories – and to qualify for the semifinals.

“I’ve had my fair share of injuries, haven’t I?” the Bok veteran says with a laugh, speaking to Daily Maverick from his home in Leicester. “It’s just been part and parcel of my career.

“It can be a negative thing if you allow it to be. There have been times when I’ve been frustrated, but you just have to do the work and push through it, and not rush the comeback process either. That’s where Leicester have been great, as they never forced me to return before I was ready.” 

Handré Pollard of the Springboks runs the ball during The Rugby Championship match between the Australian Wallabies and the South African Springboks at Adelaide Oval on 27 August 2022 in Adelaide, Australia. (Photo: Cameron Spencer / Getty Images)

New lease of life at Leicester

Injuries and the Covid-19 pandemic affected Pollard’s form after the 2019 World Cup. He never really settled during his time at Montpellier – despite winning the Top 14 title with the French side in 2022.

The Bok flyhalf found what he was looking for at Leicester, in terms of like-minded coaches and players. Several months later, he looks every bit the player who lit up Super Rugby for the Bulls in the mid-2010s.

“This move to Leicester has given me a lot of energy,” he says. “A couple of years ago, I don’t think I could have imagined that I’d get to 2023 and be this excited about my career. But with all that has happened recently, I feel like I’m 21 again in terms of my love for the game.

“It’s been a great move for my wife and I. We knew it was going to be a big change, but it’s been a really positive change. I’m part of an amazing set-up here at Leicester, and I’m in a really good space mentally,” he says.

The Tigers made a statement when they toppled English club giants Saracens in the Premiership final last season. Plans to progress were disrupted, however, when head coach Steve Borthwick and assistant Kevin Sinfield were offered positions with the England national side. Since then, Leicester’s fitness guru, Aled Walters – who won the 2019 World Cup with the Boks – has also joined the national side.

Leicester, and Pollard, took some time to adjust, yet managed to build momentum during the early stages of 2023.

While they won’t have home advantage for the Premiership semifinals, they may fancy their chances of defending their title. Pollard, one of the most high-profile foreign players in the Premiership, is hitting form at the right time.

“It’s not a conscious decision you make to be in form or out of form – or to play to your potential. Sometimes you just find that a certain system or culture will bring out the best in you,” he explains.

“It wasn’t ideal for Leicester to lose a guy like Steve Borthwick. He came in a few years back [after serving as Eddie Jones’s assistant with England] and put all those structures into place, and we saw how it took Leicester all the way to the title last year.

“I must say, what he implemented is deeply ingrained in the players – so in a sense his legacy and influence lives on. Steve and Kevin Sinfield have moved on to England, but there are still some really strong coaches here in Richard Wigglesworth and others.”

The Tigers won the title by kicking the dimples off the ball last season. Over the past few months, they have played with more ambition. While play-off rugby often demands a more conservative approach, Pollard believes that Leicester’s evolution will keep opponents guessing.

“It’s a natural progression. The kicking game was massive for Leicester last season, and we saw how influential it was in the final. After a team wins a title, though, the challenge is to add something new and keep on evolving. Leicester have done that through their attacking game this season. We haven’t lost what was implemented before, but we are trying to take things forward. It’s really exciting to be part of this team.” 

Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber. (Photo: David Rogers / Getty Images)

Form bodes well for Boks

Bok coach Jacques Nienaber and his management team will be monitoring the players of national interest closely as they compete in the URC, Premiership, Top 14 and Japan Rugby League One playoffs over the next few weeks.

Nienaber has stated previously that these knockout matches are ideal preparation for Test rugby – and that any form shown by players in these fixtures bodes well for the season to come.

Pollard is hoping to make a statement in the Premiership playoffs, and to carry that form through to the Rugby Championship.

“The Boks had a fantastic end-of-year tour to Europe,” he says of the national team. “The guys really took a step forward there. They won’t be happy with the win percentage, but there was noticeable progress in several departments.

“The upcoming Rugby Championship will represent a great opportunity. There will be plenty of rotation, as it’s a long Test season and the coaches may want to give everyone a chance before the World Cup. Those coaches are brilliant at managing that challenge, as we’ve seen in recent years, and I’m sure they will get a lot of answers before the team heads to the World Cup in France.” DM168

This story first appeared in our weekly Daily Maverick 168 newspaper, which is available countrywide for R29.