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Openside clash will be tester
Bret Harris | February 27, 2009
Article from: The Australian
THE fanfare over Matt Giteau's return to Canberra has overshadowed one of the key match-ups in the Brumbies' match against Western Force tomorrow night.
Australia's premier openside flanker George Smith will go head to head with rising no7 David Pocock in a clash which will have a major bearing on the result.
Smith, a veteran of 96 Tests, is regarded as one of the top two opensides in world rugby along with All Black Richie McCaw, while Pocock has the potential to surpass the two great flankers.
"It will be an interesting battle," Smith said. "David is a very competent player and I'll have my hands full this weekend."
But Smith said he could not afford to focus on a one-on-one battle with Pocock.
"If you focus on the individual battle rather than the team, you will lose the significance of the game plan," Smith said.
"Individual battles take care of themselves. You have to focus on the team."
Pocock, 20, played in two Tests on the Wallabies tour of Hong Kong and Europe last year, but he is expected to dominate the gold No7 jersey for much of the next decade.
"I'm really excited," Pocock said. "I love playing against George. I've learnt a lot from him.
"George has been the best for a long time. It's an opportunity for me to test myself.
"But I'm not huge on individual battles. I'll just play as well as I can and see what happens."
Smith and Pocock will be the dominant figures at the breakdown, which will be decisive, but both backrows are mobile and ball-hungry.
Every member of each backrow -- Smith, Julian Salvi and Stephen Hoiles at the Brumbies and Pocock, Matt Hodgson and
Richard Brown at the Force -- has the ability to play openside, which means the heat on the ball will be white hot.
"The breakdown is a big thing, especially at first phase," Pocock said. "It's really important."
The Brumbies have won their first two games with come-from-behind finishes against the Highlanders and the Crusaders.
"We are going well, but there are a number of things we can work on," Smith said.
"The way we are finishing games off is a credit to our fitness.
"We had a tough pre-season and we are in pretty good nick. We are playing the full 80 minutes rather than clocking off in the 70th minute."
The Force has split its first two games against the Blues and Cheetahs in Perth.
Pocock believes the Force has an opportunity to set itself up for the season with its next three games on the road, which also include matches with the Chiefs and Crusaders.
"We have three tough away games, starting in Canberra," Pocock said. "We do well away from home. It will be good to get some points and come home again."
While Smith will be battling with Pocock, he will also be looking to contain his once and future team-mate, Giteau.
"I keep a close eye on every No10," Smith said. "He is a quality player. You are very aware of his skills."
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au...015656,00.html
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