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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.
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