Former England international Brian Moore has warned Henry Pollock that his provocative behaviour could backfire and cost him a place in Steve Borthwick's side.
The Northampton back-row was at the centre of a 30-man brawl during the Saints' defeat to Leicester Tigers at Mattioli Woods Welford Road, having been embroiled in a heated confrontation with Tigers captain and England team-mate Ollie Chessum. Pollock managed to get under the skins of Leicester - with the club even referring to the British and Irish Lion as a "child in Saints kit" in a short-lived match report on their site.
However, Pollock's antics ultimately backfired - with Leicester scoring 25 unanswered points after the incident to win 28-7.
Moore's warning
Moore, who admits he himself was an "agent provocateur" in the past, has warned that Pollock's actions can inspire the opposition as much as they can infuriate.
"The extent of Pollock's influence on this volte-face is arguable, but it may have repercussions when it comes to Steve Borthwick's starting choices for the final rounds of next month's Nations Championship," wrote Moore in his Telegraph column.
"Pollock stopped twice and bent over, for reasons known only to himself, and Chessum had to shove him twice to allow the rest of the players to get off the pitch. That Pollock did not react to being shoved by Chessum, or even turn round to face him, strongly suggests he knew what he was doing."
Double-edged behaviour
Moore noted that Pollock's agent Eddie Hearn has claimed this puts bums on seats and that Pollock's celebrity status (he is on the current cover of Tatler magazine) and marketability make him worth £1m a year.
"You can say that this is all good: you want players to get under the skin of opponents and isn't having this sort of powerful influence over opponents beneficial? Before doing so, let's look more closely at the nature of this behaviour and notoriety because it is double-edged."
Moore added that Pollock's situation was self-induced, meaning he must stand or fall by his on-field antics. The former hooker also noted that rugby does not need boxing's manufactured posturing - especially as that happens pre-fight, not during it. Moore himself admits that any attempts to get under the skin of opponents - mainly the French - took place before kick-off, not during a match.
Impact on the game
"Whether this pantomime was solely responsible for the distinct change in Tigers' second-half psyche is debatable," he adds. "That it had a significant effect is not."
After the game, more than one Leicester player said as much, and Freddie Steward's mocking of Pollock's try-scoring celebration is further evidence.
"What too few rugby fans consider is that an aura like Pollock's is not confined to an individual battle, like in boxing, snooker or darts, where you have only one opponent to ponder."
Joe Heyes, Leicester's tighthead, said in his man-of-the-match interview that part of his own dominant second-half performance was because of Pollock "adding fuel to the fire". Moore explained how, as Heyes got on top of Emmanuel Iyogun, Pollock and the rest of the Northampton pack found themselves defending lineout drives as Tigers took control. He added that Pollock's best performances last year came as he let his "playing do the talking".
England place in jeopardy
This isn't the first time Moore has offered a warning to Pollock, having said back in April that the 21-year-old could suffer a "brutal fall" in fortune if he stops delivering on the rugby field.
Moore offered a similar warning to Pollock this time around, noting that his England place could be in jeopardy to face New Zealand next month as a result.
"A similar period of reflection and reaction would be in his, his club's and England's best interests," he said. "Ignoring what happened in this derby game would be to selectively attend to only those occasions on which things have turned out well for Pollock.
"As a basic final question: do you think that Borthwick is more or less likely to pick Pollock if he thinks that giving New Zealand extra motivation might be the result next month?"
