Saints star Pollock 'relishing the challenge' as England get set for summer fixtures
Henry Pollock is 'relishing the challenge' of playing his part for England this summer.
The Saints star and his England team-mates jetted off to South Africa last week ahead of their Nations Championship opener against the Sprinboks at Ellis Park in Johannesburg on Saturday (kick-off 4.40pm UK time).
England will then face a fixture against Fiji at the home of Everton Football Club in Liverpool before travelling to Argentina to take on Los Pumas the weekend after.
Pollock will hope to secure plenty of game time, having claimed the player of the match award in Saints' Gallagher PREM victory against Exeter Chiefs.
And ahead of England's upcoming fixtures, the talented 21-year-old said: "I am relishing the challenge. We have three big Test matches.
"Obviously the Six Nations didn't go our way, and we are still hurting from that, a little bit.
"There’s no bigger challenge than going to South Africa and playing away at altitude, in one of the biggest stadiums in the world.
"These the things you dream of, and hopefully that will be another memory to lock in the brains."
Pollock was on the victorious British & Irish Lions tour of Australia last year and then performed superbly for Saints last season.
But he insists there is still plenty of juice in the tank for the next few weeks.
"There’s lots of demands on us but we trust in the coaches and staff that they are going to manage us well," Pollock said. "We are using it as motivation each day.
"Those games at international level, they are the ones you want to play in.
"You want to go away and play against the best in the world."
Pollock continues to go from strength to strength for club and country.
And the indefatigable flanker said: "You want to be the person who steps up in these big games. Put your hand up to go forward and push the team with you.
"I am very fortunate that I was able to do that (with Saints). I have a great team around me.
"This team is all about freedom, we are allowed to play with freedom, and play what is in front of you.
"I am just loving my time here and I am enjoying every moment."
Pollock has become one of the most talked about players in the world.
But he added: "People can talk all they want. I have always said during my career, I do not listen outside noise, I don’t listen to peoples’ opinion, I am very much locked in on my role, and my team, what I do for the team and the coaches.
"I am just trying to focus on what I do.
"At the end of the day, it is just white noise and that doesn’t matter to me.
"It doesn’t go into my brain, you can keep talking all you want, but we won the (PREM) trophy I guess."
Pollock is now on tour with his Saints team-mates and George Furbank, who enjoyed the perfect send-off before his summer move to Harlequins.
"He is an absolute legend of this club," Pollock said of Furbank.
"I have been here (at Saints) three years, every day I come in I strive to get better, and strive to fulfil my full potential.
"I think that is so key in an environment when you want to get better each day, and you have got players around you pushing you.
"Furbs is one of those leaders who has kept supporting us."