Henry Pollock: ‘I don’t look at a challenge and think what could go wrong? I’m just excited’

Next Wednesday will be Henry Pollock’s 21st birthday. You slightly feel for his family and friends: what do you buy a guy with the Midas touch? Two tries on debut for England in Cardiff, a British & Irish Lions tour of Australia and a world breakthrough player of the year nomination would be prized accolades for anyone, let alone a bleach-blond tyro with nine Prem starts.

A bottle of HP Sauce as an ironic gift, maybe? Sitting across the table in a snow-dusted Northampton is a young athlete who enjoys a bit of banter. But strip away the peripheral stuff – the hairstyle, the black headband, the TikTok dancing and the trademark try celebration – and most striking is his white-hot ambition. “I’m just a normal kid who has this amazing drive to want to be the best,” he says. “I’m never satisfied in anything I do.”

Precocious self-belief inevitably winds some opponents up. This weekend English rugby’s modern equivalent of Lord Flashheart will be reunited with Bordeaux Bègles who took a collective dislike to him in last May’s Champions Cup final. Jefferson Poirot received a two-match ban for grabbing him by the throat with several other UBB players apparently keen to do likewise. The margins between unshakeable confidence and perceived arrogance can be mighty fine.

It certainly makes for a fascinating rematch on Sunday, with Northampton in purposeful mood. As Phil Dowson, Northampton’s director of rugby, diplomatically puts it: “I’m sure there’ll be personnel within our group that they’ll target. We’ve got to make sure we know what that’s about and go toe to toe with them.”

There is an extra dimension, too, because the England management will be watching intently. So far Pollock has been a ‘super sub’ in his five Test appearances and has not started for his country. Impress in France and the case for a starting role against Wales next month grows stronger. Holding back a potentially generational player, who has yet to be on the losing side in 11 games this season, is rarely in anybody’s interests.

Neither friend or foe can dispute the young back-rower’s unique talent. Take your pick from his bulging showreel: the opportunist try against Australia, the searing breakaway score and cheeky ‘pulse check’ at Leinster, the spectacular chip-and-chase at Sale. If he were French, people would be raving about his innate Gallic flair.

But when you actually meet him one on one, away from the madding crowd, the hyperactive showman image becomes more nuanced. Pollock is nobody’s fool and his current reading material is fascinating. The Courage to be Disliked, according to the publisher’s blurb, is about ‘unlocking the power within yourself to become your best and truest self, change your future and find lasting happiness.’

So much for the simplistic ‘Henry Pillock’ caricatures. Beneath the floppy blond mop – “I might re-dye it, I might cut it all off, it depends how I feel in the moment” – is a quick-witted competitor with a genuine yearning for self-improvement. “People on the outside don’t know who I am. They can make assumptions about me but the only thing that matters is what my mates, my family and the coaches think about me.”

Henry Pollock joins the celebrations after Northampton’s win over Leinster in last season’s semi-finals. Photograph: David Rogers/Getty Images

Quite so. But is there a small part of him that has considered dialling things down for the sake of a quieter life? “Never. I’m not changing any time soon.” Might there not be some advantage to going more under the radar with, say, referees? “I think the way I play and the way I show myself is always going to put me in the spotlight. I’m not someone who wants it or doesn’t want it, it just kind of naturally happens.” Dowson views it similarly. “He’s maybe a little bit exuberant in his celebrations but I don’t think that’s the end of the world. The kids enjoy it and we’re running an entertainment business. I think it speaks volumes about the impact Henry has had that he’s managed to create so much noise.”

If he ever does go too far there is also a dressing room full of mates to drag him straight back to earth. Pollock cops loads of stick – “I’d like to say I’ve matured but if you ask the boys they’d probably say I’m my same young self” – but says his coaches are happy as long as he delivers. “We probably don’t talk much about my personality on the pitch. That’s just who I am. But I’m always trying to learn. Everyone spoke about my breakthrough season but if you don’t back it up it doesn’t mean anything. I’ve always thought you’re only as good as the next game you play.”

Dowson, for one, believes “his ceiling is huge” if he stays focused enough. “His physical capability is incredible and his rugby IQ is very high. So it’s really about his application over time to see where he can get to. He just has to make some decisions about how he balances his time and manages his energy so he doesn’t burn out.” Avoid too many commercial distractions and Dowson is confident things will be fine. “There are a lot of people he can lean on, hopefully. As well as the players and the coaching group, he’s got really lovely parents. He’s charismatic, he’s funny and he’s got a ton of energy – but he’s also not stupid. I think that’s a key factor in dictating how far people go. There are going to be setbacks – injuries, selection, mistakes – but he has all the attributes.”

Perhaps the most useful of all, notwithstanding his acceleration and poacher’s eye, is Pollock’s total lack of fear. “I don’t look at a challenge and think ‘what if?’ or ‘what could go wrong?’ I’m always just excited. It was the same going to Leinster last year. I wasn’t going into the stadium feeling nervous about playing against Josh van der Flier or Jack Conan. I was just so excited to show the world who I am. I have a joke here and there but when it gets serious at the weekend I enjoy that as well.”

Growing up near Buckingham with two sporty older siblings – “I’ve always tried to punch above my weight... I hate losing” – also honed a constant need to prove himself. His mother, Hester, a national-level triathlete, used to drag him out of bed at dawn for swimming sessions and his boundless energy remains a match for any Duracell bunny.

So what specifically motivates him this year? He has three primary targets: winning a trophy with Northampton – “we’re going for something special this year and I feel we can definitely do that” – starting for England in a successful Six Nations team and making an impact in South Africa this summer. The prospect of one or two Springbok forwards looking to take him down does not intimidate him in the slightest. “If we go to South Africa and there is some sort of beef there it’s good for the sport. Fans want to watch it and it makes it enjoyable. I’m kind of all for it.

“You always want to test yourself against the best in the world. Any time you get to go to South Africa – or France – it’s a great opportunity to show who you are and show how far your team has come.”

First and foremost, though, it is all about seeing off his sparring partners from Nouvelle-Aquitaine. “They were the better team [in last year’s final] so obviously we’re going to have some sort of hurt from that. They probably were trying to target me. I’m looking forward to it…. Hopefully we’re going to right some wrongs.”

Happy 21st birthday, HP. May the force – and the sauce – be with you in 2026.