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