Australia sweat over David Pocock’s fitness

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FOR many Zimbabweans, David Pocock is just another ‘son of the soil’ who is now playing for Australian professional rugby union football team, the Brumbies.
But for the sports’ followers, he is one of the game’s finest open-side flankers, a vocal and inspirational player whose silence can be too loud for his team mates or opponents.
Pocock (30) has been a standout player for the Brumbies and key member of the Australian national team – the Wallabies.
He is one player whose form, Australia is banking on to progress beyond the quarter finals in the upcoming rugby world cup tournament in Japan.
It is no wonder his injury was extensively covered by the international media this week. The Australian media bemoaned the injury of a player who they are expecting to be part of the Wallabies team at the global showcase. Pocock has played more tests than Super Rugby matches in the past two years.
The Brumbies will again be without their influential loose forward for their trip to Argentina to face the Jaguares on Saturday, with coach Dan McKellar quoted saying it is a precautionary measure to get him healthy for the final six regular season games.
“He has gone home to get more training load into his calf before we expose him to a game,” “There has been no incident (on tour), it is just the best way to approach it so we get him right,” McKellar told Supersport. Foxsport’s headline yesterday read: “10 rounds, 138 minutes: Pocock fears in World Cup year.”
This was in reference to Pocock who has played just 138 minutes in three games through 10 rounds this season due to a concussion and a lingering calf injury, which he suffered at a Wallabies camp in January.
He has played 22 tests and 20 Super Rugby matches in the past two years.
The game against the Jaguares will be the sixth-straight match Pocock has missed for the Brumbies after he returned home from South Africa without playing on the two-match tour to the country and Argentina.
Associated Press’ headline screamed ‘Pocock heads home as calf injury won’t clear’ they said the move was a precaution for major domestic and national fixtures ahead that need players of his calibre.
The Daily Mail in England said despite the injury, Pocock “will be a key member of the Australia World Cup squad this year.”
Independent Online said, the Brumbies were not taking any chances of Pocock as he was a key player.