Pollard: Faf's decision making has improved

Cape Town - Springbok flyhalf Handre Pollard says he was impressed by the performances of his halfback partner Faf de Klerk in the recent England series.

Pollard and De Klerk have established themselves as the first-choice halfback pairing for the Springboks and played instrumental roles in the recent 2-1 series win over England.

De Klerk played 11 Tests for the Boks in 2016 but then fell out of favour and was not picked in 2017.

He moved to English club Sale Sharks where he was one of their star performers, before earning a recall to the Springbok setup under new coach Rassie Erasmus.

De Klerk started all three Tests against England, with Pollard the flyhalf in the first two matches.

“I think Faf’s matured a lot as a player,” Pollard told Netwerk24. “He returned from England a much better player, especially with regards to his decision making.”

Polllard added that he “thoroughly enjoyed” playing with De Klerk in the recent series against England.

“He’s definitely one of the quickest scrumhalves I’ve played with. He also has a good boot. It’s good for us as a team. I think we understood each other well in the first two Tests.”

Pollard, meanwhile, added that he’ll be fit for the upcoming Rugby Championship despite struggling with a back injury.

The Boks open their campaign at home against Argentina in Durban on August 18.