Steve Borthwick has backed Henry Pollock to thrive in the face of any wind-up tactics from Ireland on his first England start on Saturday, tipping his rising star to bring “euphoria” to Twickenham. He also scored a wonder try down the left wing, pinching the ball from Damian Penaud’s hands in the process. Ben Earl had more than 20 carries last weekend, and I want Henry to have as many carries as possible as well. Henry Pollock celebrates Northampton's victory over Leinster in the Champions Cup semi-final at the Aviva Stadium. – GuardianENGLAND (v Ireland): Freddie Steward; Tommy Freeman, Ollie ‌Lawrence, Fraser Dingwall, Henry Arundell; George Ford, Alex Mitchell; Ellis ​Genge, Luke Cowan-Dickie, Joe Heyes; Maro Itoje, Ollie Chessum; Tom Curry, Ben Earl, Henry Pollock.

Source: The Irish Times February 17, 2026 18:25 UTC