Columnists

Peter Winterbottom: Time to find out what Henry Pollock can do from the start as England’s No.8

The former England, Lions and Harlequins flanker believes Henry Pollock has done enough to earn a starting role at No.8, while urging Steve Borthwick to settle on his best combinations and address England’s disciplinary problems.

by
The Rugby Paper Team
9 August 2026

I would start Henry Pollock at No.8 for England ahead of Ben Earl.
Pollock is an incredible talent and there are things he can do on a rugby pitch that very few players are capable of.
We saw another example of that with his hat-trick off the bench against Fiji and, for all the talk about the impact he can make as a replacement, I think the time has come to see what he can do from the start.
So if I was picking the England side, I would put him in instead of Earl.
Hard graft
I know head coach Steve Borthwick clearly likes Earl and he has produced some excellent performances for England, b...

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Columnists

Peter Winterbottom: Time to find out what Henry Pollock can do from the start as England’s No.8

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Columnists