Handre Pollard believes the South African teams will take the European Champions and Challenge Cups to “a completely different level”.
Pollard’s former team, the Bulls, will join the Stormers and the Sharks in taking part in Europe’s elite event for the first time this weekend.
They qualified through finishing in the top eight in the URC last season, with the Stormers going on to win the title, beating the Bulls in the final.
Those two sides are currently third and second respectively in the URC standings after the opening nine rounds of matches, with the Lions — who are in the second-tier European Challenge Cup — occupying fifth spot.
Rugby World Cup winning flyhalf Pollard, who joined English champions Leicester from French champions Montpellier in the summer, is convinced having the South African sides in Europe is a positive step forward.
“I understand completely some people are like ‘What are they doing here?‘,” the 28-year-old Pollard said to the offical Springboks website.
“But I think, after a year or two, it’ll really benefit the competition. It [the inclusion of South African franchises] took the URC to a completely different level and I honestly believe it’ll be the same with the Champions Cup,” he explained.
Pollard explained that because the Champions and Challenge Cups are more physicality demanding than domestic leagues, the South Africans sides will have an advantage before of their physical style of play.
“The South African teams will bring a great new flavour to the competition. They have been playing a really nice, attacking brand of rugby in the URC, while the physicality is the difference between the top four or five teams in the Champions Cup. It’s bred into us, so that part of the game is pretty set.”
SOUTH AFRICAN TEAMS MUST IMPROVISE TO PERFORM IN EUROPE — POLLARD
He added that the Bulls, Stormers and Sharks will have to improve their tactical approach to the game in order to compete consistently with the best of the best that Europe has to offer. In saying that, Pollard feels that foreign teams will struggle with the South African weather conditions, especially in the summer time.
Pollard also believes that rugby mad local fans will love the Champions Cup as a product because it is different from the rugby South Africans are used to.
“The clubs in South Africa will have to become smarter tactically to compete with the top teams in Europe. It might take them a couple of years to find their feet, because it’s so different, but I think it’ll be great. People will enjoy it.”
“The weather is going to play a role. Going to South Africa in January, it’s going to be hot, humid, and tough, and then the next week you come up here in the snow! It’s going to be very interesting to see how the teams can adjust.”
The 65-times capped Pollard says being involved in European Cup competition will be a great experience for players in his homeland.
“Seven, eight years ago, we were saying to ourselves that the Champions Cup is so awesome and we wished we were playing in it,” he said.
“I was saying how I’d like to come to England to play in it and now the boys are playing in it anyway!
“For them to come over and play in the Stade Michelin against Clermont, or go to the Aviva and play Leinster, it will be great to see our young guys in South Africa take that pressure, thrive under it and learn from it. It’ll be a great learning experience. I’m very excited to see what they can do.
“Hopefully some of the South African teams can do well this season, just to get our fans more of a taste for what it is like going into the play-offs. People might be pretty sceptical in the beginning, not understanding quite, but I think they will quickly realise it is massive and they’ll enjoy it. Every game is tough in the Champions Cup, there is no easy game.”
Pollard is currently sidelined, having injured a knee on his Leicester debut against Saracens in early October, but he is looking to return to action in the new year, with his club facing European group opposition from the Ospreys and Clermont Auvergne.
