On Sunday morning, I was invited along to a church service on the outskirts of Pretoria. The congregation was young and contemporary. Many wore Springbok jerseys.‘How many of you are looking forward to the Boks playing England? Raise your hands!’ asked the pastor, midway through a teaching about sacrificial service.‘Keep your hands raised if you are looking forward to it because you want to see that young chap, Henry Pollock. You know who he is. I want to say bimbo… but I’m not going to say bimbo. That cocky guy.’ Almost all of the assembly raised their hands.‘We just want to see Jasper Wiese go and smoke him!’ the pastor continued, his voice raising. ‘He needs to be taught a lesson!’ Ask any South African rugby fan who they want to see stuck at the bottom of a ruck this weekend and their answer will be unanimous.Rassie Erasmus killed Pollock with kindness when he was asked about the 21-year-old at his press conference on Monday. South Africa’s director of rugby knows when to push his public’s buttons and their mind has already been made up on England’s peroxide blonde back-rower.He is the figure the locals love to hate. Pollock’s face was on the latest front cover of the SA Rugby magazine with the headline: ‘Poms set for Bok Bruising at Ellis Park’. Henry Pollock is facing an entire nation when England take on South Africa in Johannesburg this weekend The Northampton back-rower has his own brand of showboating and energetic flairI visited a local sports bar in the suburb of Hazelwood, a Blue Bulls heartland, where I asked the locals what they think of the Northampton tyro.‘He’s a good player but we f***ing hate that guy,’ said a 23-year-old student. ‘All the South Africans hate that guy. He’s arrogant. In South Africa we would call him a windgat. In South Africa our rules are very respectful.’Our rugby players have short hair. It’s a bit like the military. Pollock is arrogant and we hate arrogant players, but he backs it up. I’m going to be at the match and if I have something to throw at him, I will throw it. We hate him but he brings something to the game.’Rugby is king in these parts. Big brands are desperate for endorsements from Springbok stars, with the likes of Handre Pollard and Siya Kolisi appearing on billboards throughout the country. Energy drink consumers can even win their own Bomb Squad experience if they pick up a lucky can of Monster.Watching South Africa’s junior team take on Uruguay on the bar’s big screens, an older man added: ‘Pollock’s a very good player but he’s going to get hurt this weekend. We grow up humble in South Africa.’Pieter-Steph du Toit is a humble boy, no frills, yet he’s the best player in the world. If Pollock comes in all arrogant then they are going to f***ing hurt him. It will be clean play but he’s going to take some big shots. Wiese is going to come hard.’Our boys have got a job to do. They’re not here for sideshows. He rocks up at 21 with all the sideshows in the world and it p***es us off. What’s more irritating is he backs it up because he’s bloody good.’Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu is quite arrogant and he’s the golden child of South African rugby, so we would take him. But who would he replace? He might make the Bomb Squad.’ ‘Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (second left) is quite arrogant and he’s the golden child of South African rugby’ ‘Pieter-Steph du Toit is a humble boy, no frills, yet he’s the best player in the world. If Pollock comes in all arrogant then they are going to f***ing hurt him’Pollock is yet to establish himself in England’s starting XV, despite the public clamour for him to be given the No 8 jersey. Ben Earl is one of Steve Borthwick’s most trusted players at Test level while Pollock is seen as someone who can inject energy in the second half.‘There’s no doubt that he’s a bloody talented rugby player. We respect his abilities,’ said another reveller, Calvonn Allisonn, 31, who played for the Bulls and Clermont. ‘People miss his talent because of everything else. If he stripped it back to just showcasing his talent, attacking the line, showing how stupidly fit he is, then I think people here would appreciate him.‘But when you play rugby in South Africa, it’s a humbling experience. The game is bigger than you. When a player starts to celebrate on his own, it’s a bit weird to us. It’s against the psychology of South African rugby. I sincerely doubt that Rassie would pick Pollock because he’s against our culture.‘When he’s 40 years old, I think he’ll look back and think, “I was a bit of a t***, my hair was a bit weird”. He’s young and he’s expressing himself but, if I were him, I wouldn’t pick a fight with someone like Malcolm Marx.’He’s a creative rugby player and that’s his identity. That’s cool but it’s just the, “oh look at me, I’m a big boy” bit that we don’t like.‘Rugby here is a bit like a military school. You have a drill sergeant who beats things into you. Cheslin Kolbe expresses himself on the pitch and he’s magic. It’s a fine balance but I just think Pollock needs to tone it down.’Closer to home, Pollock is one of the most popular figures in the England camp. He is English rugby’s biggest headline maker, bringing in young supporters who catch on to his big personality and trademark celebrations. Closer to home, Pollock is one of the most popular figures in the England camp. He is English rugby’s biggest headline maker, bringing in young supporters South African fans will be baying for blood. On Saturday at Ellis Park, they will find out if their prayers will be answered‘If somebody who wouldn’t normally watch rugby puts the telly on to watch Pollock get filled in by a few South Africans, then that’s a good thing,’ said England No 10 and Pollock’s Northampton team-mate Fin Smith.‘More people talking about the game is great. It’s more eyes on it. To be honest, knowing him as a character he will absolutely love that. He’ll be asking for the ball with a real “bring it on” mindset. He’ll make sure he’s in a good place to play. He loves all of that stuff and he’s up to the challenge.’South African fans will be baying for blood. On Saturday at Ellis Park, they will find out if their prayers will be answered.