Battle at No. 10! Hunting for a final place

GEORGE Ford and Handre Pollard have not confronted each other since the 2019 World Cup final between England and South Africa in Yokohama.

- PAUL REES

Their reunion will come in the Premiership playoff semi-final between Sale and Leicester at the AJ Bell Stadium this afternoon in Salford, a match in which one of the outside halves is likely to sway the outcome.

A year ago, Ford helped Leicester reach the final. The Tigers were not among the favourites at the start of the campaign, but a gameplan based on the basics was honed by the outside half’s ability to run a match and, although he lasted only 20 minutes at Twickenham before suffering an Achilles tendon injury that was to delay his debut for Sale until the second half of his season, he was the architect of the title success.

He was replaced at Leicester by Pollard, who arrived from Montpellier. The South African is moulded differently from Ford, although they are both strategic kickers, land their goals and orchestrate attacks. Sale and Leicester made it to the last four despite operating for long periods without them.

Pollard came off the bench to make his Tigers debut at Saracens in the fourth round having returned early from South Africa’s Rugby Championship campaign because of injury. He was not seen again until the end of December: his first two Premiership starts ended in defeat but, as he found his fitness, he led Leicester on a six-match winning streak to defy a computer which had given them an eight per cent chance of making the top four.

It was not until February that Ford made his first start for Sale. While Leicester used three players at outside-half in Pollard’s absence, Sale had Rob du Preez who occupied the position for the first 14 Premiership matches until Ford played there at Exeter at the end of February.