Pollock wows with brace of tries despite Northampton’s loss at Stade Français

Henry Pollock pressed home his claim for a place in England’s Six Nations squad on Tuesday, scoring two tries as Northampton’s standout performer before the patched-up Saints were ultimately put to the sword.

Pollock stole the show in a breathless first quarter when Northampton raced into a 21-0 lead with the 19-year-old scoring two of his side’s three early tries. Stade responded in brutal fashion against a Saints side – who lost their fly-half Fin Smith to illness on the day – to inflict Northampton’s first Champions Cup defeat of the season.

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The visitors had 11 players unavailable for selection even before Smith was ruled out. That Phil Dowson also opted to rest Fraser Dingwall and Juarno Augustus demonstrated how much faith he has in his fringe players and how important their back-to-back wins in the first two rounds of this competition were in December.

Smith’s withdrawal meant a switch to fly-half for Rory Hutchinson but any sense Northampton’s attacking ambitions may be dulled by the upheaval was swiftly expunged. They caught a Stade Français side, who have been desperately struggling for form of late, decidedly cold.

The second-row Sam Lockett was the first to dot down, crashing over from close range after Tommy Freeman had gone close on the right before Pollock had his first. He had spent the considerable buildup lurking on the right touchline but if he can produce the kind of dextrous finish his first try required then all power to him.

His second stunned Stade, by this stage shell-shocked. He pilfered the ball near the halfway line and raced through to score between the posts, saluting the Northampton faithful as he did so – Pollock does not lack for confidence. It was one of those moments that leaves you wondering quite what just happened and when you have a player who can do that, it is normally a good sign. As fate would have it, Pollock turns 20 on Tuesday.

Steve Borthwick does not want for back-row options but with Sam Underhill likely to miss the entire championship with an ankle injury and his Bath teammate Guy Pepper also sidelined, Borthwick may find room for Pollock. There seems little benefit in delaying the inevitable.

Stade registered no points from their opening two matches and sit second bottom in the Top 14. You wondered if they might capitulate but three emphatic tries to reduce the deficit to two points at the interval was some response.

Indeed, as much as Pollock impressed, the hosts boast a formidable back-row of their own in Tanginoa Halaifonua, Romain Briatte and Yoan Tanga who made considerable impacts in attack and defence with Stade’s breakdown superiority key to their revival.

The first was a powerful finish from the right-winger, Peniasi Dakuwaqa, the second a canter for JJ van der Mescht after charging down Hutchinson’s kick. It is harsh to blame Hutchinson, who is not a fly-half by trade, but it is not the sort of mistake someone of Smith’s calibre would have made.

It gave Stade another shot in the arm and their third try was a thing of muscular beauty, kicking a penalty to the corner and bulldozing over with Tanga awarded the score.

Northampton got the try they needed to break Stade’s rhythm soon after the break, Pollock turning provider this time with the final pass to the hooker, Henry Walker, who squeezed the ball over the line from close range. But back roared Stade with another flex of their muscles, a maul thundering towards the line before the referee, Eoghan Cross, awarded a penalty try. To make matters worse for Northampton, their scrum-half, Alex Mitchell, was sent to the sin-bin.

As a result there was a sense of inevitability about Stade’s fifth try, begun with a dart by Brad Weber and finished at speed by Samuel Ezeala. Northampton’s lineout was floundering and Stade were taking full advantage, Tanga forcing his way over for his second soon after. With Josh Kemeny in the sin-bin, the captain, Paul Gabrillagues, added try No 7 before Curtis Langdon registered a late consolation score for Northampton.