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David Pocock's Super Rugby career could be over

Australia forward David Pocock

Brumbies coach Dan McKellar admits David Pocock’s Super Rugby season could be over, with a decision to be made in the coming days.

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The Brumbies will host one of the biggest packs in Super Rugby on Friday without Wallabies star Pocock, who is still nursing a frustrating calf injury.

Pocock has played just 138 minutes in three games through 14 rounds this season and hasn’t featured at all in 10 weeks, but was expected to return after the bye and face the Bulls at GIO Stadium.

The 31-year-old flanker was in Wallabies camp earlier this week and McKellar conceded national team medical staff could end his club season.

The Brumbies have three more games after the Bulls and will also likely play in the finals series, but Pocock could be rested to better prepare him for the World Cup in September.

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Pocock is off contract at the end of the season and he is expected to end his Super Rugby career by signing with a club overseas.

“The Wallabies medical staff and Brumbies medical staff will have a chat over the next few days and we’ll come to some sort of clarity there as to where he heads over the next two weeks,” McKellar said.

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“There’s things we’ve got to look at to see whether he plays Super Rugby or whether we now put his attention towards the World Cup.”

The Brumbies have stood tall without Pocock and control their own destiny at the top of the Australian conference.

They’ll be boosted by the return of Wallabies lock Rory Arnold from an ankle injury, while back-rower Lachlan McCaffrey will come back through club rugby.

Arnold is the only change to the starting side, while McKellar has opted for a 6-2 split on the bench to contain the Bulls huge pack.

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“We’re expecting physicality … scrum, maul, big men running hard, nice and direct. There will be no surprises there in terms of what they bring,” McKellar said.

“But the Bulls have a little bit more footy in their game this year. They’re a little bit more dangerous off the cuff and have players who can change a game very quickly.

“(Handre) Pollard is a real threat with ball in hand and discipline has been spoken about because he’ll have you down 15-0 before you know it, (kicking penalties) from 50 or 60 metres out.”

AAP

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Nickers 33 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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