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TIM CLARKE
December 2, 2009 - 7:43AM
Wallaby and Western Force enforcer David Pocock said the demolition of Wales was the perfect sign-off to his own international coming of age – even with a dislocated broken thumb bringing his tour to a premature end.
After the disappointment of the Wallabies' rollercoaster results in the tour of the UK, Pocock was magnificent in the first half against Wales, scoring his first Test try and tearing the heart of the home side in an all-action display.
"A lot has been said about the missed opportunities of the tour and the disappointment," Pocock said.
"It is disappointing to have missed the opportunity of the Grand Slam, but that’s not how it went. And as a group, we have learned a lot on the trip.
"I thoroughly enjoyed the first half.
"It was a great ball from Steve Moore that gave me the chance to get my first Test try, and get winded in the process, which put a dampener on any celebration.
"And then, just before half time, I dislocated my thumb. I probably could have kept playing, but I’d lost a lot of grip strength so the doctor pulled me at half time – with someone like George Smith as your replacement, you’re only letting the team down if you keep playing, even if you’re at 90 per cent."
The 33-12 defeat of the Welsh brought some harsh criticisms of the home side, but Pocock said he had heard nothing but positivity from the locals about the Australian performance.
"We had a lot of people come up to us and say that, despite their team losing, they loved watching the game and really enjoyed the running and the tries," Pocock wrote on sports website The Roar.
"The Welsh are rugby mad but also hospitable and knowledgeable and it was great to have some banter with the locals walking up the road to get a coffee this morning."
And on his way back to Perth, Pocock said he was ready for the rest before preparing for the Super 14 campaign under John Mitchell.
"I am really looking forward to having a break," Pocock said
"I think I’ve been in Perth for about three weeks all up since the end of Super 14, so it’ll be great to be back there for a decent amount of time and be able to hang out with mates and get the training done in my own time before we join our Super 14 teams in early January."
http://www.watoday.com.au/rugby-unio...1201-k3wb.html