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Champion flanker David Pocock came agonisingly close to a Bledisloe Cup call-up before Wallabies coach Michael Cheika stepped in to make the final call.
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Pocock completed all the necessary training in the lead-up to Saturday’s decider against the All Blacks in Auckland, which would have been his first match since March.
But in the end Cheika decided not to risk the 31-year-old’s troublesome calf in such a huge game with the World Cup starting next month.
He will instead play against Samoa in a farewell Test in Sydney on September 7.
What made Cheika’s decision a little easier was the first-rate performance of the Wallabies back row in their 47-26 win in Perth.
“It was so close – I called it in the end,” Cheika said on Thursday.
“We’re close to the World Cup and another couple of weeks of getting himself loaded, we will definitely see him out on the field against Samoa.”
The absence of Pocock has opened the door for a possible Test debut by young Queensland flanker Liam Wright.
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The 21-year-old will be a handy ball-pilfering option, bringing energy at the back end of the game.
Cheika said Wright had trained the house down to earn his place, while had also taken on board some advice during the Super Rugby season.
“In the back half of the Super Rugby he was getting away from the squad and we gave him some tips on what would be good to see and he came good,” Cheika said.
“I know he hasn’t played with us but he’s just been competing so hard in training we thought it was a good opportunity and well-deserved.”
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Wallabies skipper Michael Hooper also liked what he’d seen from Wright.
“What a game to make your debut,” he said.
“This is going to be a battle and he’s someone who can come on and add that energy and youthful enthusiasm.
“He’s fresh to this environment so what that brings with it is going to be great on the field.”
– AAP
Comments on RugbyPass
Excellent 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?
2 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?
2 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 commentsAnother non Scot for the anti Scot Townsend. Soon there will be no Scottish born and bred players in the National team.
3 Go to commentsGreat comeback to the playing field by Richie Mo’unga after the loss of his father. A great performance by Richie . I know him well and he is a great guy. On and off the field one of the greatest for the Crusaders. Scott Robertson would have loved him in his All Black’s side. A very missed player and person.
3 Go to commentsYeah nah he comes across as a funny bloke, but that stopped abruptly after the Nutcracker Prince debacle✋
3 Go to commentsAt this point I can’t watch him without thinking he’s a dirty slimebag. He should have been banned for the same amount of time that Quinn was out. It took Tupaea near on a fricking year to get fit enough to play again and his leg will never be the same. The other crap thing is that he was at ABs level and now he has to claw his way back there when he could have had several games under his belt.
7 Go to comments