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Wallabies facing major decisions ahead of second Bledisloe

David Pocock. (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)

The Wallabies selectors face a dilemma before Saturday’s Bledisloe Cup decider as they weigh up whether to play champion flanker David Pocock – and, if so, where.

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The breakdown king hasn’t played since March due to a persistent calf injury but Wallabies coach Michael Cheika indicated last week he could be available for the return showdown with the All Blacks at Auckland’s Eden Park on Saturday.

After storming to a dominant 47-26 win in Perth, the Australians have given themselves their best chance to claim the Bledisloe Cup for the first time in 17 years.

Cheika and his fellow selectors must be sorely tempted to reward the same team with selection, especially given the need to build combinations before the World Cup.

He also has a painful reminder of what chopping and changing can do.

After Australia won the opening Bledisloe match in Sydney in 2015, Cheika made eight changes for the return game in Auckland, insisting it was all about World Cup preparation, and saw his team thumped 41-13.

But Pocock is no ordinary player and, after Saturday’s match, there’s only one Test – against Samoa early next month – remaining before the Wallabies’ opening World Cup game in Japan.

That could provide a gentler reintroduction for the valuable Pocock.

Cheika said he hadn’t made a call on any changes.

“I’ve obviously got the selectors as well, so we will sit down and go through what we’re thinking,” Cheika said.

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“I’d like to think anyone who goes in, including the players who didn’t play (in Perth), understands they are part of trying to build the squad and its mentality going forward.”

If the Wallabies do decide to give 31-year-old Pocock a gallop on Saturday, they must then work out how to best use his skills – even if it means off the bench.

The Australian back-row of Michael Hooper and big boppers Lukhan Salakaia-Loto and Isi Naisairani appeared better balanced than New Zealand’s and got the wood on of much-heralded trio Sam Cane, Ardie Savea and Kieran Read.

With the All Blacks fielding two openside flankers as the Wallabies have done in the past using Pocock and Hooper, this time it was Australia who could use their size to dominate.

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With Salakaia-Loto and Naisarani providing the go-forward, Hooper was everywhere at the breakdown and also managed to rack up a massive 18 carries to his opposite Cane’s one.

Wallabies lock Rory Arnold said it would be tough to leave out his Brumbies teammate Pocock.

“I’m not a coach or anything and I’m not too sure how far away he is, but to have someone like him around the team – he’s world class,” Arnold said.

– AAP

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TI 3 hours ago
All Blacks player ratings vs Italy | Autumn Nations Series

Rieko took literally years to turn from a defensive liability at 13 into a guy, who’s defensively sound as it befits the position. And it all came at the cost of him being much less of an offensive threat, than what he used to be. Proctor is a natural 13, he handles, passes, and kicks way better than Rieko ever will, he just isn’t as fast.


It’s unfair to judge Tupaea on the handful of games he’s had in 2022 before he got nearly crippled by a Wallaby lock. What could Tupaea/Proctor pairing be, if they got the same amount of chances as Jordie/Rieko?


Because no matter how you spin it, playing a player outside of his natural position is a poor asset management. No matter how talented he is, he still competes against players who had years and years of practice at the position. And if said guy is so talented that he actually CAN compete against specialists, imagine how much better still he could have been, if he had all those years to iron the toothing issues at the position. It just drives me mad.


Two things I hate in rugby union beyond description: aping after league, and playing players outside of their natural position. Especially considering, that they all admit they hate it, when they’re allowed to speak freely. Owen Farrell spent 80% of his international career at 12, saying every time when asked, that he is a 10 and prefers to play at 10. Those players are literally held at a gunpoint: play out of position, or no national jersey for you.

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