All Black admits to being on 'high alert' over David Pocock
David Pocock’s presence in Australia’s squad for the Rugby Championship has got New Zealand on high alert, according to All Blacks forward Sam Cane.
Pocock missed last year’s tournament as he took a sabbatical from rugby but returned to international action in June against Ireland.
The 30-year-old was named in Michael Cheika’s trimmed squad for this weekend’s opener against the world champions, the Wallabies looking to claim back-to-back wins over their trans-Tasman rivals.
And the threat posed by Pocock is something New Zealand are wary of heading to ANZ Stadium on Saturday.
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“He’s always a big threat when he plays,” Cane told a media conference.
“The way he continually bounces back and plays at a high level is pretty outstanding. It just creates an awareness – we’re on more of a high alert than normal around the breakdown.
“In every Test match there’s always a big emphasis on the breakdown – whether it’s their ball or our ball, disrupting their ball or trying to get fast ball.
“It will be a focus again.”
All Blacks coach Steve Hansen continues to claim the Wallabies are favourites.
“They’ve improved from [last year] haven’t they and they’ve had a [warm-up] game. Every year we have a bit of a game for the guys that don’t make it through too far in the finals and I think that’s all the difference was.
“Once we got that sorted out it was a titanic struggle for the other two games. I think it’s going to be a great contest and two really good games.”
Australia’s 23-18 win in October was a rare success for the Wallabies, though, with New Zealand enjoying an impressive record against their trans-Tasman rivals.
The world champions have won 26 of their last 33 meetings but Hansen insists the rivalry between the two nations will not lose its intensity.
“It’s Australia v New Zealand, it doesn’t matter what sport you play, it’s a healthy rivalry between the two countries,” he said.
“We’ve done a lot of stuff together over the years, we’ve fought in wars alongside each other, we’ve looked after each other in many different ways.
“There’s a closeness there and whenever there’s a closeness it becomes semi-family-like and little brother always likes to beat big brother and big brother doesn’t like losing to little brother. That keeps the competition alive.
“Players, particularly, get to understand the history of it as well and they take pride in that.”
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1 Go to commentsWonderful insightful interview with Crusader Johnny McNicoll. He was exceptional in the wins over the Chiefs and Rebels and I am sure he will get a contract again for 2025. He was an excitement machine for Canterbury and the Crusaders in 2011-16 and he still is. He has added to the attack particularly. Had a fine career with Wales in the intervening years.
1 Go to commentsAmazing what decent coaching can do! I always felt Folau never improved much as a player and never had a great coach using his talents. Suli seems different at qld this year.
9 Go to commentsI’m sick to death of waiting 3 years for league players to become half decent. It cripples Australian rugby in the meantime. The Reds actually looked half competent without Vunivalu not starting last week. He’s just a liability of errors. Paisami is looking better than he has in previous years but I’d have Kerevi back in a flash. A kiwi wont tho …...
9 Go to commentsExcellent analysis Nick as we have come to expect. I was not really aware that NFL strategies have been adopted by rugby teams, especially in defence. One point I would make is that the Northhampton attacking player on the end of the chain in the video examples has not maintained the correct depth to be effective. In the footage shown the outside player is too flat to make the best of the opportunity his inside players have provided. In each case they have to reduce speed and turn their body backwards to secure the ball, losing all momentum and giving the impressive scrambling defence the chance to shut down the threat.
1 Go to commentsMorning, John. Do you think that it may be a good idea to rest both teams from the Madrid comp leading in to the Olympics
2 Go to comments« I am preparing myself for much more, something much bigger. I’m focussing on the next cycle, » You don’t say…
1 Go to commentsGeez plenty of time to come right before test season starts. Dont panic mr Mannering!!!!!
1 Go to commentsGreat read Nick. The Reds really have been great to watch this year, and the improvement of not only the players you mention, but the squad in general has been obvious. The Reds 10/12 play making axis is a nice counterpoint to the 10/15 partnership at the Brumbies and Rebels. If Schmidt was to pick say, Lolesio, Paisami and Wright / Kellaway, would this be too many play makers? I notice in a lot of those clips Tim Ryan playing across the field in support of Vunivalu. Is this a feature of Kiss’s structure?
9 Go to commentsSo sad, god rest him. Too young to be gone. RIP
2 Go to commentsRIP big man 🙏
2 Go to commentsThe GB coach. “Just because we don’t get together as much as other teams we don’t use that as an excuse for performances when we don’t hit the mark”. Why mention it at all then?
1 Go to commentsNo mention of the yellow card for Harlequins which really cost them.
3 Go to commentsThought you’d left us Nick. Good to have you back writing for us. So hunter ikitau works? I reckon wright kellaway as two of the back 3. Tim Ryan and Toole looking good for strike winger but I still want the power of korobeiti and figure our forwards still need him to help them out. Million dollar question is who plays 10? I’m thinking Noah for his kicking and combo with wright. Reckon the pair adds up to an attack and kellaway will help. Can you comment on Zac Lucas in Japan? How is he going?
9 Go to commentsMack Hansen, Ethan Roots, Taine Plumbtree, Louis Lynagh, Emmanuel Meafou? Which country do you want to pick your Barbarians from?
3 Go to commentsInstead of apologising, try to act like an adult, fcknut.
3 Go to commentsLooks like the Force twisted his leg…ahem arm
7 Go to commentsScotland should change their name to the Barbarians
3 Go to commentsThe game was already over leave the bloke alone ….from a Welsh fan 😀👍
3 Go to commentsShamefully the Toulouse players acted like footballers, falling down feigning injury at the slightest knock. About time refs penalised this play acting.
8 Go to comments