Pocock commits to ARU
21 Dec 2012
Wallabies flanker David Pocock has extended his contract to 2015 and is a strong candidate to captain Australia at the World Cup in England.
Acting ARU chief executive Matt Carroll announced on Friday that Pocock had agreed to terms until the end of 2015. The 24-year-old has already led the Wallabies this season, and it is likely that he will take on a leadership role at his new franchise, the Brumbies, in 2013.
‘We are very pleased to be able to have David available for the Wallabies not only for next year’s Lions Tour, but the next Rugby Championship series and quite possibly the next Rugby World Cup in London in 2015,’ said Carroll.
The Wallabies and Pocock enjoyed mixed success in 2012. They began poorly with a shock loss to Scotland in Newcastle, before going on to beat Wales 3-0 in the June Test series.
Pocock’s season was interrupted when he sustained a serious knee injury in a Rugby Championship match against the All Blacks. The influential openside did, however, recover to play in the final match of the season in Cardiff. The Wallabies beat Wales 14-12.
21 Comments
21 Dec 2012, 09:20 am
Bam-bam zimbo fetcher dragons
21 Dec 2012, 09:42 am
@Kid_Senekal-1: \
Another lost asset from Africa that has nothing to do with sport.
21 Dec 2012, 09:47 am
basically a guy who thought he could get away with emulating macaw
he did for a brief while
but the problem with doing that is it leads to everyone, in addition to macaw, flagrantly violating the laws of the game and causes a backlash across the board
he’s gonna need to add to his game
21 Dec 2012, 10:04 am
The question has to be asked.
If Pocock’s family had decided to move to SA, would his talents have been recognized.
21 Dec 2012, 10:19 am
@Brads-4: That’s a very good question.
Admittedly, South Africa is blessed with so many good loosies but still I wonder.
21 Dec 2012, 10:30 am
@Brads-4: do you think HG’s talents have been “recognised” since his family ran here from Zim?
21 Dec 2012, 10:36 am
@BrumbiesBoy-5:
There in exists the issue!
To me there are three distinct skill sets required for loose forwards.
SA has a different attitude, which is reinforced in the comments here on Keo.
Openside, blindside are alien concepts.
21 Dec 2012, 10:41 am
@Transformation-6:
Sorry, who is HG? One of the bloggers?
If so, what has that got to do with the way of the world.
One individual defines diddly squat.
21 Dec 2012, 10:46 am
@Brads-7:
South African loosies have always been of a very high standard.
In recent times, Brussouw has pioneered the fetcher role in world rugby and Francois Louw has taken that role to another level.
Schalk has no peer in terms of work ethic in the world and Juan Smith as blindside flank is the best player in that position in the modern era.
Please man.
21 Dec 2012, 10:55 am
@Jeraldjay-9:
I am not dissing the quality of the loosies that have or currently represent SA.
You simply have a different attitude on what skill sets are required for the respective positions.
21 Dec 2012, 11:20 am
if it was not for David Pocock we would have beaten Australia at RWC 2011.
21 Dec 2012, 11:43 am
@XV-11: don’t go there.. no, seriously. don’t go there.
21 Dec 2012, 11:55 am
@Brads-7: @Jeraldjay-9: I agree that an opensider needs to have a specific skillset. For me, that is non-negotiable.
But your gameplan, and the combined skillset of the pack you desire, should in my opinion influence the choice of blindside and nr8 you employ.
For instance, if you already have a strong ball carrying 2 and 4/5 lock, you may wish to select only one ball carrying loosie (say a strong 7) rather than strong ball carriers at both 7 and 8.
The lineout is also a consideration, and I prefer to have at least one of the 7 or 8 as a lineout option at the tail. However, if your jumpers at the front and the middle are world-class, and you contest very well on the opposition throw, you may decide that you want to boost other areas of play to enhance the overall skillset of your pack and pick an additional shorter, deck player in your trio.
There are many variables at play.
21 Dec 2012, 12:00 pm
@Brads-4: If Brussow is too small for Meyer, then Pocock is too small too.
21 Dec 2012, 12:00 pm
@XV-11: If my auntie had balls she’d be my uncle…
21 Dec 2012, 12:25 pm
@Kid_Senekal-12: ha ha good point…reffing aside…David Pocock had a huge influence on that game.
21 Dec 2012, 12:56 pm
Fantastic player,
but have to say none of the candidates for Australian captaincy would exactly fill me with confidence.
They need someone ‘inspirational’ that can create the right atmosphere. Can’t imagine any of the current lot being that positive influence.
21 Dec 2012, 13:25 pm
@hendrikp-17: Australia is the one country that is content in giving the captaincy to a backline player.
Maybe someone like Barnes will be considered.
21 Dec 2012, 13:41 pm
@willievz-18:
Problem with Barnes is he hardly warrants a place in the Wallabies starting-XV.
I’d go with Horwill in the mean time and see how things work out.
They sure could use a John Eales / Stirling Mortlock type though. Someone who commands genuine respect.
2 Jan 2013, 12:59 pm
@Transformation-6: “Ran here”? “From Zim”?
Yes, as truthful as you “ran here”
“from up Rossi’s skirt…”
Hey?
Fibbing little umfana
8 Jan 2013, 12:13 pm
Horwill will be captain once he is back from injury. He is a very good captain and Australia has missed him.
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