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Expect the Wallabies No.7 to spoil the New Zealanders' reign at the breakdown - they do, writes Greg Growden in Christchurch.
The All Blacks are talking about David Pocock. The coaching staff mention him. Richie McCaw discusses his impact. Even All Blacks five-eighth Daniel Carter this week explained how Pocock has become a prize pest.
New Zealand won by 21 points in Melbourne but, as far as Carter was concerned, there was at least one facet of the game they did not dominate. They might have McCaw, but they did not reign at the breakdown. That was all due to Pocock.
''There were a few areas where they really ripped into us,'' Carter said. ''Pocock turned over a lot of ball, and he really got in there and became a nuisance for us. That was pretty frustrating, so it is an area we really have to work on.''
This did not come as a complete surprise to the All Blacks. The previous week the coaching team of Graham Henry, Steve Hansen and Wayne Smith travelled to Brisbane to watch the Wallabies-Springboks Test and witnessed Pocock's man-of-the-match performance - his second such plaudit after receiving the same award at Croke Park late last year against Ireland.
Key New Zealand players such as McCaw and Carter were similarly aware of Pocock's threat, given his menacing performance for the Western Force against the Crusaders in Perth in April. They realised that in his third season of international football, he had come of age - a notion reinforced when, before the Springboks Test, Wallabies forwards coach Jim Williams said it was time for Pocock to take over the George Smith mantle.
So far so good.
The pressure gets even more excruciating for Pocock, because he is now a marked man. Tonight, the All Blacks will shadow him everywhere - as they know he is probably the most dangerous identity in the Wallaby line-up. But that doesn't seem to concern the 22-year-old.
''As a No.7, the better you play, the more teams will target you and the more teams will try to disrupt your game,'' Pocock told the Herald. ''That's the way it is, and the key to that is for the other two back-rowers, Richard [Brown] and Rocky [Elsom], [to] consequently get more opportunities. Then again you always do want the opposition to be looking out for you.''
If the Wallabies are to have any chance tonight, they need Pocock to again emerge as a distraction for the All Blacks. Pocock is clearly primed for that, because no one was more devastated by the Wallabies first Bledisloe Cup loss.
According to insiders in the Wallabies dressing room last Saturday night, Pocock was near inconsolable.
''David just hates losing,'' one noted.
It is little wonder those in power view him as a future Wallabies leader, given how much he puts in, how committed he is to the cause and how irritated he is when goals are not achieved. It's not surprising he was yesterday wheeled out in front of the New Zealand media with Elsom and Will Genia for the final media conference, as an indication that there is actually more than one leader within this young group.
Pocock is still burning about what happened at Etihad Stadium that night, six days on.
''Obviously you are very hurt after games like that,'' he said. ''To lose to the All Blacks by that margin, well, you felt stung for the whole week. You look at the score, and think, 'That's not great'. Everyone has been pretty agitated by it, and that's why we're looking forward to Saturday night, and so we can have another crack at them. Once we started to play with 14 men we showed what we can do. But 14 men against the All Blacks, well you're dreaming if you think you're going to win. The thing for us now is to take the mindset we had when we were down to 14 men and now play the entire game like that.''
To avoid similar pain in Christchurch, the Wallabies have worked on improving their midfield kicking, restarts and work at the tackle.
''We know what we have to do,'' Pocock said. ''The All Blacks just thrive off turnover ball, particularly around the ruck, as well as kicks back to them that aren't on the money. So we must not give them that turnover ball, and if we do, going straight into our defence and shutting down their counter-attackers. Also the kickers have to be putting the ball in the right areas.
''We can't allow them to take those easy, quick throws. You look at their back line. It is such a dangerous counter-attacking unit, and so you can't give them any chances.
''At the breakdown last weekend, we weren't that far off. I thought we did all right, and we stole a fair bit of their ball, too. So I guess each team is really going to ramp up their work at the breakdown this weekend.''
Wallabies coach Robbie Deans knows Pocock and McCaw well, and has observed that Pocock is ''probably a little bit more physically advanced at this age than Richie was''. ''Hence Richie was just held back a little bit so that he wouldn't be physically compromised,'' Deans said. ''But both of them, once they entered, thrived.''
Deans, however, stopped short of declaring Pocock had the potential to supersede McCaw as a player.
''I don't see any need to compare,'' Deans says. ''Richie's a remarkable player. Just enjoy what he does. Because you've got one good player doesn't mean you can't have two.''
The Wallabies are understandably grateful that one of them is theirs.
The Pocock File
Born: Messina, South Africa
Age: 22
Major teams: Western Force, Australia
Position: Breakaway
Height: 183cm
Weight: 103kg
Tests: 21
Debut: v New Zealand, Hong Kong, 2008
http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-union/un...806-11ok1.html
Sick 'em Bam![]()
"Bloody oath we did!"
Nathan Sharpe, Legend.
If Bam is only 103kg then I am................................ never mind
Exile
Port Macquarie
"Let me tell you something you already know. The world ain’t all sunshine and rainbows. It’s a very mean and nasty place and I don’t care how tough you are it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain’t about how hard ya hit. It’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done! Now if you know what you’re worth then go out and get what you’re worth. But ya gotta be willing to take the hits, and not pointing fingers saying you ain’t where you wanna be because of him, or her, or anybody! Cowards do that and that ain’t you! You’re better than that!" - Rocky Balboa
You think Bam needs to hit the gym to bulk up a bit?
I thought he was bulky enough - he looks heaps bigger then 103kg
Exile
Port Macquarie
"Let me tell you something you already know. The world ain’t all sunshine and rainbows. It’s a very mean and nasty place and I don’t care how tough you are it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain’t about how hard ya hit. It’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done! Now if you know what you’re worth then go out and get what you’re worth. But ya gotta be willing to take the hits, and not pointing fingers saying you ain’t where you wanna be because of him, or her, or anybody! Cowards do that and that ain’t you! You’re better than that!" - Rocky Balboa
umm i am more concerned by the height factor he seems to shrink and then have growth spurts.
ARU website
Pocock, David
B: 23/04/1988
H: 181cm
W: 101kg
P: Flanker
Western Force Website
Position: Flanker
Height: 184cm
Weight: 104kg
Date of Birth : 23/4/1988
But weight wise gees i would have said more than 108kg's
Generally speaking you aren’t learning much if your lips are moving!!!
They measured him in the morning and the afternoon
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Would have been nice to see hodgo starting with pocock today.......i wish the coaching staff will give him some decent minutes today.