0
![Not allowed!](images/buttons/down_dis.png)
![Not allowed!](images/buttons/up_dis.png)
Tim Clarke | July 27, 2008
Young Western Force star David Pocock has underlined his growing status at the club - and in the mind of coach John Mitchell - by being named as captain during the side's development tour to the UK.
Despite the presence of Wallabies Scott Staniforth and Tai McIsaac, and senior players including Pek Cowan, Gareth Hardy and Junior Pelesasa in the squad, the 20-year-old Pocock will lead the team to Europe.
This latest honour comes after the breakaway was named the Force's man of the year at the club's recent awards night, so chosen by the coaches for on and off field achievement.
Pocock will have 19 other players with Super 14 experience with him on the five-week tour.
Also included in the squad are Force regulars Cowan, Hardy, Pelesasa, Tamaiti Horua, Haig Sare and Troy Takiari. Another tourist is lock Pat O'Connor, unsighted last year because of injury.
Hot prospects James O'Connor and Dane Haylett-Petty are also on the plane.
The team will take on four of England's top-flight Premiership teams and two regional academy sides.
The award caps a huge year for the Zimbabwean-born back-rower, who was named captain of a star-studded Australian under-20s squad for last month's inaugural IRB Junior World Championships in Wales.
In May Pocock signed a new two-year contract with the Force and the ARU, seen as a major coup for the the WA club as Pocock was being pursued by Queensland.
The 28-man squad will depart Perth on Thursday and will open the six-match program against Jonny Wilkinson's Newcastle Falcons at Kingston Park on August 8.
After a midweek clash with Saracens Academy, the team will face the Eddie Jones-coached Saracens at Old Albanians before a hit out against the Northampton Academy.
The tour will then climax with matches against recently promoted division one champions Northampton Saints and, on August 30, 2007-08 Premiership finalists Leicester Tigers.
The team will travel as the Western Force, with Mitchell previously saying the tour was intended to begin the preparations early for the 2009 Super 14 season. "We are expecting the English teams to field strong sides," he said. "These will be important pre-season trial matches for each of these teams and they will be just as serious as we are about performing well.
"It will give some of our younger guys some exposure to quality rugby in the lead up to the 2009 Super 14 season." The tour was brought about after the axing of the Australian Rugby Championship competition by the ARU last season.
The squad: Dion Berryman, Caleb Brown, Pek Cowan, Scott Daruda, Gareth Hardy, Dane Haylett-Petty, Matt Hodgson, Luke Holmes, Tamaiti Horua, Kieran Longbottom, Barry Mansfield, Tai McIsaac, Tom Murday, Brent Murphy, James O'Connor, Pat O'Connor, Chris O'Young, Junior Pelesasa, David Pocock (c), Filipe Manu, Haig Sare, Scott Staniforth, Troy Takiari, Josh Tatupu, Valeni Tia Tia, Justin Turner, AJ Whalley, Sam Wykes.
go bam bam!
he will be a great captain!![]()
BOKKE“Let me put it this way, A Springbok team contains Afrikaners, Englishmen, coloureds and blacks. It has parochial foes in Bulls, Sharks, Stormers, Cheetahs and Lions. It is a recipe for war! Yet in all the years of John Smit’s captaincy, there has never been one unhappy customer, not one voice of rebellion against his leadership. He is the glue that holds the Springboks together. The man is a legend!”- Jake White
Congrats to him...well deserved and a great opportunity![]()
Captain Bam Bam has a nice ring to it - reckon he'll do us proud - long tour for the lads - could be a bit tougher than he thinks - I'm sure he'll rise to the challenge
61 years between Grand SlamsWas the wait worth it - Ya betta baby
Bam Bam did us proud in under 20s and I am sure he will do the same and/or an even better job for this tour![]()
Be There. Be Heard. Be The Force Behind The Force
Great stuff Bam-Bam!
My prediction as our second Club Captain since the first time I saw him play.
To save me hunting around, is there a thread with a bit more info on these new blokes?
"Bloody oath we did!"
Nathan Sharpe, Legend.
About the young'ens on the team? Their player profiles would be your best bet.
or here RugbyWA | 2008 RugbyWA Academy Squad Announcement
Yeah, looking at Dion Berryman, Barry Mansfield, Tom Murday, Brent Murphy, Filipe Manu, Valeni Tia Tia & Justin Turner.
Tia Tia and Murday (Flanker) appear to be in the Academy and Barry Mansfield has played Juniors for Zimbabwe but know little about the rest, positions, Clubs, origin etc.
"Bloody oath we did!"
Nathan Sharpe, Legend.
Unfortunately the "server" is down on that site currently![]()
"Bloody oath we did!"
Nathan Sharpe, Legend.
A start thanks Nick!
New faces to don Western Force colours on England
Nick Taylor, rugby writer
July 22, 2008 03:00pm
SEVERAL new faces will wear Western Force colours for the first time on the club's five-week development tour of England.
The touring squad includes RugbyWA Academy squad members Tom Murday, Valeni Tia Tia and Justin Turner; local youngsters from the RugbyWA premiership, Dion Berryman (Kalamunda), Barry Mansfield, (Nedlands) and Brent Murphy (Perth-Bayswater); and prospective academy member Filipe Manu from the Brisbane Souths club.
Another new face will be recent Force signing, winger Caleb Brown.
"Bloody oath we did!"
Nathan Sharpe, Legend.
From what I saw at the couple of occasions that I met these guys in the UK, they're all good lads & should fit in well to thein the future.
CHEERLEADERS ROCK!!!