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By Wayne Smith
April 13, 2009 The one-on-one duel New South Wales captain Phil Waugh has been awaiting all season is set to take place at the Sydney Football Stadium on Saturday, after rising Western Force flanker David Pocock was confirmed as a starter.
Pocock, still 10 days shy of his 21st birthday, took a heavy head knock against the Hurricanes on Good Friday and, though he played out the full 80 minutes, there were doubts he would be fit to back up for the the Force against NSW in Sydney.
Force coach John Mitchell dismissed those fears on Saturday, and while he professes to be more interested in the big picture than in any individual showdowns, he does have a close friend he knows will be keenly watching the Pocock-Waugh contest.
"I expect Robbie Deans will be interested and the other Wallabies selectors," Mitchell said.
It is no great exaggeration to suggest the match could rest on the outcome of Pocock-Waugh battle at the breakdown but, perhaps more importantly, it could determine what future, if any, Waugh has in the Wallabies.
Although Waugh figured in nine Tests last season, starting in four, indications towards the end of the Wallabies' European tour, were that his ranking as number two openside flanker behind George Smith was under threat from Pocock.
If that ranking translates into a lesser contract offer from the Australian Rugby Union, Waugh might well follow in the footsteps of long-time Waratahs teammates Rocky Elsom, Chris Whitaker, David Lyons and Dan Vickerman in heading overseas at the end of the season.
Both Waugh and Pocock have played exceptionally this season but nothing quite resolves a ranking problem like a head-to-head contest. Ditto, it should also be said, for the clash of rival number eights Richard Brown and Wycliff Palu.
The confirmation Pocock will be fit to play, coupled with the revelation the Force's other precocious young Test star, inside centre James O'Connor also will be a starter, tips the balance of the fitness news from Perth into the black. But it was a close thing with the Force losing fast-rising winger Nick Cummins for up to a month with a hairline fracture of his leg and centre Junior Pelesasa for at least a week with a tricep injury.
But injuries might not be the sole cause of change, with Mitchell struggling to disguise his disappointment at his side's inability to hold off the Hurricanes at the bitter end on Good Friday, ultimately surrendering the match in the 81st minute.
"We couldn't control possession and therefore couldn't control the front 50metres," Mitchell said. "We had to do a lot of defence but that shouldn't have been a problem. The game is not all about attack."
It should not have been a problem but it was, with some of the senior players among those who fell off crucial tackles to allow the Hurricanes to steal the match with two tries in the final four minutes. "It wasn't the fatigue factor," Mitchell said. "Some of it was attitude. Some of it was technique."
The Force coach sidestepped the question of whether some big names might pay the price for their defensive lapses. "It will come down to what's the best mix for us but you can't afford for that to happen on a regular basis," he said.
Even though Mitchell sensed the tide was turning against his team late in proceedings, he, like everyone else, expected his players would fight on to the death to secure a bonus-point victory.
Instead, the Force finds itself in 10th place, eight points adrift of the top four. But while many critics believe the defeat consigned his side to the also-rans for 2009, Mitchell is adamant the Force remains in the hunt. "The important thing is that we are still alive," he said. "There is a lot of congestion in the middle of the table and we have to keep performing."
The Force could claim Australian bragging rights if they beat the Waratahs, following victories over the Brumbies and Reds. Mitchell, however, isn't being sidetracked by such petty distractions. "The reality is that the Waratahs have been the most consistent Australian team in recent years," he said. "We aspire to their consistency."
http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,...002381,00.html
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