Wallabies coach Michael Cheika says David Pocock hasn’t hurt his chances of captaining team with anti-homophobia stance

WALLABIES coach Michael Cheika has rejected suggestions David Pocock has harmed his chances of captaining Australia again because he holds strong opinions on issues such as homophobia.

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - MARCH 22: David Pocock of the Brumbies signals to team mates during the round six Super Rugby match between the Waratahs and the Brumbies at Allianz Stadium on March 22, 2015 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

​WALLABIES coach Michael Cheika has rejected suggestions David Pocock has harmed his chances of captaining Australia again because he holds strong opinions on issues such as homophobia.

Pocock’s decision to complain about homophobic slurs by Jacques Potgieter in a game on Sunday, which subsequently saw the NSW forward fined $20,000, has seen the principled Brumby criticised for using sport as a political platform.

Pocock was arrested earlier this year for protesting coal seam gas mining by chaining himself to a tractor, and former Wallaby Greg Martin said yesterday the ‘s call to also highlight homophobic comments by Potgieter would mean he won’t captain the Wallabies again.

“They (ARU) have a role to play in appointing the Australian captain because he is the voice box,” Martin said on Brisbane radio.

“They’ll get worried that he will get up on his soapbox about all sorts of issues.

“Do you want that when they are not your principles? He’s getting his own principles out there and they are strong principles but maybe the ARU won’t want that and they will go ‘hold on, loose cannon. Maybe he can play and be a (team) member but he can’t be our leader and our voice piece’.”

WARATAHS: Potgieter fined over homophobic slur

Asked on Tuesday about claims Pocock had done damage to his Wallaby chances and any future captaincy, Cheika said: “Not at all.”

“Listen, I love characters,” Cheika continued.

“I don’t want rugby to be full of robots or people who don’t have an opinion. I respect people who have their own opinion. Some people have more confidence to broadcast them, and some like to keep them to themselves. I want characters in the team. The only thing about players getting in the team is about how they play.”

Waratahs forward Jacques Potgieter was fined for making a homophobic slur in Sunday’s game against the Brunbies.

Pressed specifically about captaincy chances, Cheika added it wasn’t an issue either he or Pocock are currently considering given the flanker is only just returning to playing after two years of injury.

“First of all, his challenge is to get into the side, and with both with Stephen Moore and Michael Hooper, who have recently captained the side, I think we have plenty of leadership there,” he said.

“So I don’t think it is an issue. I don’t even think he’d be thinking about that himself in fairness.”

Cheika said ​a contrite ​Potgieter had accepted responsibility for making a mistake, which was revealed yesterday as calling a Brumbies player a “f****t”.

The Sydney Convicts applauded the ARU’s swift action to address the issue and ​indicating it was a thoughtless — rather than malicious — slur, ​offered Potgieter to attend training and a game to talk with gay rugby players.

“There’s always niggle in games and we spoke about, from my point of view, what’s acceptable and that’s not acceptable,” Cheika said.

“After that he obviously realised he’d crossed the line, came and saw me and manned up and was feeling very bad about it. Sometimes you don’t know in the heat of the battle. No excuse though. He’s taken responsibility and we dealt with it like we felt we should.”

Waratahs captain Dave Dennis said Potgiteter said “clearly went outside the standards we set as a group” and ​said there was no ill-feeling towards Pocock for publicly raising the issue​. ​

“Not at all, everyone is entitled to their opinion and Poey obviously has some very strong ones on those issues, and that’s fine,” Dennis said.

“Everyone agrees it is not in the spirit of the game or socially acceptable.”

Pocock has copped heat on social media for not dealing with Potgieter’s comments privately after the match, but Cheika said that was unfair because Pocock had acted on instinct.

“The same theory of heat of the moment on one side also goes on the other side, you have to take a balanced view,” Cheika said, when asked if Pocock could have acted differently.

“In the heat of the moment he decided that was the right course of action ... so I don’t think that deserves criticism either.”

Originally published as Wallabies coach Michael Cheika says David Pocock hasn’t hurt his chances of captaining team with anti-homophobia stance