POCOCK BRILLIANT AGAINST BOKS
Monday, 26 July 2010 11:34am
RugbyWA
Emirates Western Force Vice Captain David Pocock sent another strong message to the rugby world of his enormous talent with a man of the match performance for the Wallabies against South Africa.
Pocock was simply outstanding against the Springboks and showed he not only has the mettle to be an international game breaker but to fill the big boots of retired great George Smith.
The Force flanker’s specialist ‘fetcher’ skills were on full display as he won the breakdown battle for the home side. Boks skipper John Smit praising Pocock’s effort as the most pivotal on the night.
"David Pocock was all over the breakdown," Smit said.
"He was massive there and we just didn't match him. It's just such a big part of the modern-day game."
Pocock missed a significant chunk of the Super 14 season with finger tendon injury but on his return he helped turn the fortunes of a struggling Force side and has continued to get better and better throughout the Wallabies test series.
His effort to quell an almost certain try to Bryan Habana and the follow-up by winning a ruck penalty for the Wallabies on their own line was significant turning point in a match Australia won 30-13.
While Pocock was all smiles after the match the same can’t be said for fellow Force team mate Nathan Sharpe who lost a tooth during the game from an errant kick by Springbok centre Jaque Fourie.
Sharpe attempted to chase down the free-running Fourie but instead got a mouthful of boot. True to the grit and determination the Force skipper puts into every performance he played out the game with a peg missing.
Ground staff were employed to find the missing tooth and their efforts were rewarded when it turned up half buried in the turf. The big lock was delighted to recover the missing molar and took a detour from post match celebrations to the dentist chair.
