Five reasons why Wallabies and Australian rugby need David Pocock back

THINK David Pocock’s injury is one the Wallabies can cope with? Think again — here’s five reasons Australian rugby needs Pocock back.

David Pocock is universally liked.

RUGBY fans across Australia have been left to curse David Pocock’s rotten luck after he was again cut down by a serious injury this week.

The star flanker will miss his second-straight season after being forced to undergo another knee reconstruction, ruling him out for the entire 2014 campaign.

That means the 46-Test star will have missed two full years for the Wallabies heading into 2015 — the year of the next Rugby World Cup. But while that could suggest the Wallabies will move on without him, the truth is they can’t afford to.

Here are five reasons why Australian rugby needs David Pocock back.

HE’S A POTENTIAL WALLABIES CAPTAIN

It says plenty about Pocock’s leadership skills that his name was one of the very first thrust forward as a Wallabies captaincy candidate when incumbent skipper Ben Mowen announced in January that he was quitting Australian rugby.

That was despite the fact that through injury Pocock hadn’t played for the Wallabies since 2012 — nor turned out in a competitive rugby match at all for 10 months.

Pocock, just 25, has already skippered the Wallabies five times in his 46-Test career. And even if he isn’t handed the captaincy upon his eventual return, his leadership and experience won’t go astray in a Wallabies forward pack trying to reassert its authority on the world stage.

David Pocock makes a charge for the Wallabies.

BRUMBIES CAN’T AFFORD TO LOSE HIM

Brumbies skipper Ben Mowen hit the nail on the head when he told Fox Sports News: “I don’t think many sides in the world would have a specialist (number) seven of David Pocock’s capabilities just sitting there in the wings.”

The Brumbies don’t. They were fortunate enough to have George Smith fill the void when Pocock went down last year, but even though the 110-Test veteran is returning to Australian soon there’s little chance he’ll repeat the feat for his old team in 2014.

Colby Faingaa has already departed Canberra for Melbourne, meaning the Brumbies’ openside stocks are incredibly bare — and Mowen’s departure at season’s end will further thin them.

There’s little to no chance of finding someone of Pocock’s calibre in time for next year, so the Brumbies be pinning plenty on having him back on deck for season 2015.

And Australian rugby can only benefit from having its Super Rugby sides — like the Brumbies — challenging for the title.

David Pocock is a vital player for the Brumbies.

HE’S WORLD CLASS — AND WALLABIES NEED WORLD CLASS PERFORMERS

If the Wallabies are to continually challenge the world champion All Blacks and No. 2 ranked Springboks they’ll need every world class player they have at their disposal.

David Pocock is one of them. Sceptical? Try this on for size: in Pocock’s last full year for the Wallabies — 2011 — they won eight of the 10 Tests that he played.

That included three wins over South Africa and a Tri-Nations-clinching victory against New Zealand.

Michael Hooper has stepped up for the Wallabies over the past two years, but take a look at his record against the Springboks: one win from four Tests, compared to Pocock’s six victories from his past seven games v South Africa.

Wallabies coach Ewen McKenzie is renowned for making “horses for courses” selections, and he’d surely love to have the powerful Pocock on hand to take on the big, brutal Boks.

David Pocock has a great record against South Africa.

IT’S A WORLD CUP YEAR — AND HE RISES TO THE OCCASION

Pocock is a big-game player — just look at that record against the Boks. And games don’t come any bigger than at the World Cup, especially against those very same Springboks.

Take the 2011 Rugby World Cup quarter-final. James O’Connor nailed the penalty goal that sealed a famous 11-9 victory over South Africa, but Pocock was the match-real winner.

He made 26 tackles and forced nine turnovers to almost single-handedly carry the Wallabies to victory against a South African side that boasted 76 per cent possession. It was an individual performance lauded as the finest of the tournament to that stage.

The Wallabies need that kind of proven performer who can rise to the occasion at next year’s World Cup.

Let’s also not forget, Pocock missed two pool matches at the last World Cup. They lost one of them, to Ireland.

David Pocock is universally liked.

HE’S ONE OF THE REAL GOOD GUYS OF SPORT

Seriously, just have a scroll through social media over the past few days.

You’d go a long way to find a player who could garner such a universal outpouring of support — fans around the world, current and former teammates, media personalities, coaches, rival players, athletes from different sports and even rivals clubs have posted messages wishing Pocock well in his recovery.

Rugby in Australia can only benefit from having such a well-liked player back doing what he does best — playing rugby.