It is a lopsided rugby world when a leading South African province has to travel up to Europe with a below‑strength side in the depths of December to play an English club bolstered significantly by a couple of Springbok World Cup winners. The chances of Handré Pollard sending his compatriots home empty-handed always felt pretty high and, sure enough, 20 points from their high-profile fly‑half was enough to secure a valuable bonus-point victory for the hosts.
The coup de grace was slightly delayed, however, as an initially under-par Leicester flirted with potential embarrassment before Pollard’s haul and a couple of tries from the powerful centre Solomone Kata tipped the contest towards the Tigers. It was not until Pollard converted his own 74th‑minute try to put his side 30-23 ahead that normal service looked like being restored, with the winger Josh Bassett sliding over for the crucial fourth try in the final minute.
