If ever there was going to come a time this season when the fate of the collective would lie on the shoulders of an individual, then today’s crunch Super Rugby encounter between the Bulls and the Sharks at Loftus Versfeld would be the perfect stage for that.
The hosts are under severe pressure to rescue a season that has started in the most horrible of ways with two home defeats at the hands of the Stormers and Hurricanes.
Coming to Loftus are the Sharks, buoyed by their turn in fortune after recording their first win by beating the Lions last weekend even though their campaign began with a shaky start – and a loss – to the Cheetahs at home.
As deeply contrasting as the pressures that both teams come with today, it seems as though their path to victory could be with one player in each team.
Springbok flyhaves Handré Pollard and Patrick Lambie will hold the power. They will dictate the pace of the game.
The 20-year-old Bulls flyhalf, Pollard, may have less experience with just over a dozen Super Rugby caps and a season in top flight rugby on his back, but his ability to play with the maturity and bravery way beyond his age makes him a threat to any team.
Pollard is a talented ball player who enjoys getting his outside backs going. He is never one to shy away from confrontation especially when the try-line beckons and it is this spirit the Bulls will be hoping he brings with him this afternoon.
It is no secret the hosts want to play the expansive game and there could be no better flyhalf in the country than Pollard to get the ball rolling but to win such high pressured games the Bulls will need to play with a bit of conservativeness.
This is where Pollard will need to step up for his team and ensure he is deadly accurate and patient with every penalty at the posts.
It is called slow poison and has worked effectively and efficiently for decades at Loftus from the days of Naas Botha to Derick Hougaard and Morné Steyn.
The Bulls have employed the kicking game to good effect, first by collecting points on offer from anywhere in the opposition’s half, kicking well for territory and launching aerial attacks that win possession.
That has been in the glittering past and there are trophies to prove it. But Pollard will have to follow in the footsteps of the great flyhalves who led the Bulls to countless, memorable victories.
Young Pollard has proven in the past that he is up to the job of leading from the front – from his time as Junior Springbok captain last year which won him the IRB Junior World Player of the Year to his sparkling performance in the Springboks’ victory over the All Blacks in Joburg last year.
While pressure will be on all the players in the Bulls team, the home team’s fans will be hoping the broad and capable shoulders of Pollard will lead them to victory.
The Bulls will need to show improvement in their scrums, Victor Matfield will need to boss the line-outs again in the face of stiff opposition from his heir, Pieter-Steph du Toit, and the Bulls will need to show urgency at the breakdowns and with ball in hand.
It is in gaining a stranglehold on the game that Bulls coach Frans Ludeke believes Pollard could be the man to turn around their fortunes.
“As a team we need to improve on last weekend’s performance. There were a lot of positives as well and we were a millimetre away from our first win. We are chasing those margins. Handré is the type of player who gets the team on to the front foot and his tactical game last weekend was world class,” Ludeke said.
Then there’s Lambie, the baby-faced assassin of rugby, who has ice coursing through his veins.
Everything Lambie does seems effortless. The pivot gives little away and when he is on song, the Sharks seem to win as was the case in last weekend’s clash against the Lions.
But the Sharks need their to scrum to function and so, too, the line-out while Lambie gets quick and clean ball.
Lambie is the man for the big moment and has proven it time and time again in the Springbok and Sharks jersey. Kicking for goals, kicking tactically or taking the ball up, Lambie is always eager to have his signature all over it.
“Patrick was outstanding, the variation in his game kept the defending side on the back foot and created turnover ball that he can play from. He was very effective,” said Ludeke.
While it will be victory both flyhalves, Pollard and Lambie will be gunning for, their duel will also be fired up by the vacant Spring- bok No10 jumper ahead of this year’s Rugby World Cup.