Springbok assistant coach Duane Vermeulen jokingly suggested he would consider coming out of retirement for just 10 minutes to face the young England loose forward, Henry Pollock, in the Springboks' Nations Championship opener against England, scheduled for 4 July 2026 at Ellis Park.
Vermeulen quipped that while he is settled in his coaching role, the prospect of facing a "character" like Pollock is tempting enough to make him want a brief return to the pitch.
He compared Pollock to a young Schalk Burger, noting that both share a high-energy style and a certain "live-wire" presence on the field.
“He’s a character on and off the field, but when he plays, he plays his part. I can’t say anything bad about him; he’s a good player.”
“The nice thing about the youngsters coming in is they bring a lot of energy and push the more experienced guys to stay on top of their game, and also push themselves.
Vermeulen highlighted Pollock's ability to bring excitement to rugby, stating, "He brings something special to their team and a massive energy".
“He is a young kid who obviously has the opportunity to play. If you look back at Schalk Burger when he came on the scene, with all that long blonde hair, you first saw the hair, and then you only saw the tackle,”
While acknowledging that Pollock's exuberant personality and "football-like" celebrations have divided opinion among fans and players, Vermeulen spoke highly of his talent, saying, "I can't say anything bad about him, he's a good player".
“But he (Pollock) has got his following, and he’s got the people that like him, and there’s a hell of a lot of people that obviously dislike him. But he plays, and he has an impact, and he brings excitement to the game.”
“I think it’s going to be interesting when the boys hit the ground in that first Test. I would love to then have a comeback, even if it’s only for 10 minutes.”