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Rookie hooker called into Wallabies camp after training run injury

(Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)

The Wallabies have rushed rookie hooker Billy Pollard to Argentina ahead of their Rugby Championship opener after Dave Porecki suffered a concussion in training.

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Porecki will be unavailable for the first Test against the Pumas in Mendoza on Sunday (AEST) but could play in their second match in San Juan a week later.

It’s a blow for the Australians with Waratahs rake Porecki a breakout star during their series loss to England last month, starting in all three Tests.

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It follows shattering news that Wallabies star Samu Kerevi will require a knee reconstruction after sustaining an injury while on Commonwealth Games duty with the Sevens team.

Brumbies hooker Pollard, 20, caught the eye of Wallabies coach Dave Rennie despite playing only eight Super Rugby matches since making his debut in 2021.

He won selection in the Australia A program and was preferred over Feleti Kaitu’u and Matt Faessler to start against Samoa and Tonga.

The absence of Porecki means Folau Fainga’a is likely to wear the No.2 jersey with Lachlan Lonergan coming onto the bench.

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Rennie is set to announce his team to face Michael Cheika’s men overnight Thursday.

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J
JW 1 hour ago
Everyone knows Robertson is not supposed to be doing the coaching

Yeah it’s not actually that I’m against the idea this is not good enough, I just don’t know whos responsible for the appalling selections, whether the game plan will work, whether it hasn’t worked because Razor has had too much input or too little input, and whether were better or worse for the coachs not making it work against themselves.

I think that’s the more common outlook rather than people panicking mate, I think they just want something to happen and that needs an outlet. For instance, yes, we were still far too good for most in even weaker areas like the scrum, but it’s the delay in the coaches seemingly admitting that it’s been dissapoint. How can they not see DURING THE GAME it didn’t go right and say it? What are they scared of? Do they think the estimation of the All Blacks will go down in peoples minds? And of course thats not a problem if it weren’t for the fact they don’t do any better the next game! And then they finally seem to see and things get better. I’ve had endless discussions with Chicken about what’s happening at half time, and the lack of any real change. That problem is momentum is consistent with their being NO progress through the year. The team does not improve. The lineout is improved and is good. The scrum is weak and stays weak. The misfires and stays misfiring. When is the new structure following Lancasters Leinster going to click?



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