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It is the battle at the heart of any match, a challenge that defines an outcome, and on Saturday the clash between two world class flyhalves will go a long way to determining whether it will be Leicester Tigers or Sale Sharks who head to Allianz Stadium and the Gallagher Premiership Final on June 14th.
The two number 10s in question are Leicester’s Handre Pollard and Sale’s George Ford.
The former is a double World Cup winner, with 80 caps and 772 points for South Africa. The latter a World Cup runner-up, and bronze medal winner with 99 England caps and 408 points.
WORLD CUP HEARTBREAK
If Ford wants to point at someone for the colour of his World Cup medals, then more than anyone it is Pollard he can point to.
Ford started the Japan 2019 Final in the 10 jersey, but Pollard ended the winner. He pulled the strings and scored 22 points as the Springboks ran wild in a 32-12 victory in Tokyo.
Then four years later, and despite arriving late to France 2023 after injury, Pollard’s last minute penalty in the semifinal ended England and Ford’s dreams for a second consecutive tournament.
Pollard, 31, is in strong form this season and has already scored 147 points. Ford is on 94 points, though he has shared kicking duties with Rob du Preez. Even so, he landed six from six as Sale ended the season with a 30-26 victory over Exeter Chiefs.
Ford, 32, is aiming to end the season on a high with a third Premiership title after he missed out on selection for the British and Irish Lions.
While Lions coach Andy Farrell didn’t select Ford in his squad, he does have a fan in Leicester coach Michael Cheika.
“They've got a fly-half in George Ford who should have been on the Lions tour, no doubt. I still don’t know how they didn’t pick him to be honest,” Cheika said.
“There is quality throughout the side, and we are looking forward to it – it's the Premiership play-offs, how could you want anything else?”
HONOURS EVEN
This season the home side won when they met in the Premiership.
In December Sale enjoyed a 39-25 victory in Salford, then in May the Tigers enjoyed a 44-34 victory thanks to four conversions and three penalties from Pollard. Ford landed three conversions and a penalty against his former club.
The semifinal will be Cheika’s last as head coach at Mattioli Woods Welford Road. The Australian will depart at the end of the season when his one-year contract ends.
“It’s the semi-finals of the Premiership, so it’s going to be a tough battle and that’ll be good,” Cheika said.
“I would expect this is going to be the hardest game of the season without a doubt. They are a top-quality side, they have excellent coaching, and they’ve got great players.”
