Northern Edition

Select Edition

Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
New Zealand New Zealand
France France

The dangerous clearout method Pocock and other poachers need to be protected from

David Pocock of Australia runs onto the field (Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)

David Pocock needs to be protected from illegal neck rolls that have already forced him to miss key games for the Wallabies and is turning parents off the sport, according to his Brumbies coach Dan McKellar.

ADVERTISEMENT

McKellar is calling on Super Rugby’s referees to come down hard on illegal neck twisting which left the flanker in serious pain for much of last season. It forced Pocock to miss Australia’s Rugby Championship clash against South Africa in Brisbane and the Test against England at Twickenham.

Ahead of the new Super Rugby season, McKellar highlighted his major concerns over one of Australia’s most important players and said: “I’m all for the game being tough and physical and played on the edge, but any action that’s not within the laws of the game needs to be acted on.

“It’s a tricky one for Pocock, because he’s so dominant as a poacher and he’s on every team’s tip-sheet each week. Him being cleaned out legally, compared to having his neck twisted is important.

Continue reading below…

Video Spacer

“It’s about player safety, it’s not about just David, either. The same applies to Michael Hooper at the Waratahs or Liam Wright at the Reds.”

While McKellar’s focus is on the Brumbies, he has serious concerns over the image of the sport when players such as Pocock are forced to take a break with serious injury. He is convinced rugby union will lose out when parents come to support their children’s sporting lives due to the threat of injury in the contact situation.

He explained to AAP: “You don’t want to see that action, because mums and dads are watching our game and we want their kids to aspire to play rugby, and those actions scare the mums off.

ADVERTISEMENT

“I’m not saying these things are deliberate, more often that not they’re accidents but they need to be acted on.”

ADVERTISEMENT

LIVE

{{item.title}}

Trending on RugbyPass

Comments

0 Comments
Be the first to comment...

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Sign up for free
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest Features

Comments on RugbyPass

N
Nickers 27 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.

41 Go to comments
TRENDING
TRENDING Rugby fugitive Rocky Elsom in hiding after fleeing Ireland Rugby fugitive Rocky Elsom in hiding after fleeing Ireland
Search