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138 minutes in 10 rounds: Pocock's injury woes hinder Brumbies

David Pocock. (Photo by Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images)

Brumbies coach Dan McKellar says injured Wallabies ace David Pocock is missing the trip to Argentina as a precautionary measure to get him healthy for his team’s final six Super Rugby regular season games.

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Pocock has played just 138 minutes in three games through 10 rounds this season due to a concussion and a lingering calf injury he suffered at a Wallabies camp in January.

The 30-year-old flanker has played more tests (22) than Super Rugby matches (20) in the past two years and will miss his sixth-straight for the Brumbies when they face the Jaguares in Buenos Aires on Saturday.

He’s returning home from South Africa without playing on the two-match tour to the Republic and Argentina.

McKellar said Pocock hadn’t aggravated his calf while training on tour and was hopeful he’ll return against the Blues in Canberra on May 4.

“He has gone home to get more training load into his calf before we expose him to a game,” McKellar told AAP.

“There has been no incident (on tour), it is just the best way to approach it so we get him right.”

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The (4-5) Brumbies upset the Stormers with an epic 19-17 win in Cape Town on the weekend and are now third in the Australian conference.

They’re 11th overall and will be desperate for Pocock’s return as they likely need to win four of their seven remaining games to make the top-eight finals.

Wallabies coach Michael Cheika came under fire over the controversial fitness camp in January after Pocock, NSW Waratahs halfback Nick Phipps and Melbourne Rebels duo Adam Coleman and Dane Haylett-Petty all suffered soft tissue injuries.

Cheika will be monitoring Pocock’s recovery closely in the lead up to the World Cup in Japan later this year.

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Nickers 20 minutes ago
Scott Robertson responds to criticism over All Blacks' handling errors

I thought we made a lot of progress against that type of defence by the WC last year. Lots of direct running and punching holes rather than using width. Against that type of defence I think you have to be looking to kick on first phase when you have front foot ball which we did relatively successfully. We are playing a lot of rugby behind the gain line at the moment. They are looking for those little interchanges for soft shoulders and fast ball or off loads but it regularly turns into them battering away with slow ball and going backwards, then putting in a very rushed kick under huge pressure.


JB brought that dimension when he first moved into 12 a couple of years ago but he's definitely not been at his best this year. I don't know if it is because he is being asked to play a narrow role, or carrying a niggle or two, but he does not look confident to me. He had that clean break on the weekend and stood there like he was a prop who found himself in open space and didn't know what to do with the ball. He is still a good first phase ball carrier though, they use him a lot off the line out to set up fast clean ball, but I don't think anyone is particularly clear on what they are supposed to do at that point. He was used really successfully as a second playmaker last year but I don't think he's been at that role once this year. He is a triple threat player but playing a very 1 dimensional role at the moment. He and Reiko have been absolutely rock solid on defence which is why I don't think there will be too much experimentation or changes there.

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