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David Pocock to make his much-awaited return against Samoa - and take the captain's armband
By Online Editors
Champion Wallabies flanker David Pocock will captain Australia in his first Test of the year with Michael Cheika naming a mixed team for their World Cup warm-up Test against Samoa.
Pocock, who hasn't played since March due to an ongoing calf injury, will lead the Wallabies out on to Bankwest Stadium on Saturday in their last Test before flying to Japan ahead of the World Cup tournament.
The 31-year-old flanker is one of several experienced campaigners included in the starting 15, including Test centurions Adam Ashley-Cooper, Will Genia and Sekope Kepu.
The latter two have already confirmed they will retire from international rugby after the World Cup, while veteran hooker Tatafu Polota-Nau announced on Wednesday he will join them.
Polota-Nau missed World Cup selection but was one of six players from outside the squad named for the Sydney Test and will start from the bench.
Young Brumbies backrower Rob Valetini is set to make his Test debut after been included in the reserves.
The others from outside the squad are starting fullback Tom Banks, and Luke Jones, Liam Wright and Nick Phipps, who have been named on the bench.
Those players have been training with the Wallabies at their pre-World Cup camp in New Caledonia.
Cheika said his selection was about giving some players additional game time while balancing the training work-load of others.
Regular skipper, flanker Michael Hooper is among those rested.
The Test is just the sixth clash between the two countries and the first since Samoa's shock nine-point win at ANZ Stadium in 2011.
Three of Australia's starting 15 have Samoan heritage, including starting hooker Jordan Uelese, who is a chief in his village of Aufaga in the southeast of Upolu Island.
Wallabies: Tom Banks, Dane Haylett-Petty, Adam Ashley-Cooper, Matt Toomua, Marika Koroibete, Bernard Foley, Will Genia, Jack Dempsey, David Pocock (capt), Lukhan Salakaia -Loto, Adam Coleman, Rob Simmons, Sekope Kepu, Jordan Uelese, James Slipper. Res: Tatafu Polota-Nau, Scott Sio, Taniela Tupou, Luke Jones, Liam Wright, Rob Valetini, Nick Phipps, James O'Connor.
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Latest Comments
Nah, that just needs some more variation. Chip kicks, grubber stabs, all those. Will Jordan showed a pretty good reason why the rush was bad for his link up with BB.
If you have an overlap on a rush defense, they naturally cover out and out and leave a huge gap near the ruck.
It also helps if both teams play the same rules. ARs set the offside line 1m past where the last mans feet were😅
Go to commentsYeah nar, should work for sure. I was just asking why would you do it that way?
It could be achieved by outsourcing all your IP and players to New Zealand, Japan, and America, with a big Super competition between those countries raking it in with all of Australia's best talent to help them at a club level. When there is enough of a following and players coming through internally, and from other international countries (starting out like Australia/without a pro scene), for these high profile clubs to compete without a heavy australian base, then RA could use all the money they'd saved over the decades to turn things around at home and fund 4 super sides of their own that would be good enough to compete.
That sounds like a great model to reset the game in Aus. Take a couple of decades to invest in youth and community networks before trying to become professional again. I just suggest most aussies would be a bit more optimistic they can make it work without the two decades without any pro club rugby bit.
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