David Pocock (rugby player)
Encyclopedia
David Pocock is an Australia
n rugby union
player. He is the current Western Force
and Wallabies
openside flanker, having assumed the latter position from George Smith.
and emigrated to Australia in 2002.
He started off his rugby career when he was schooling at the Anglican Church Grammar School
in Brisbane, Australia, playing inside centre in the 1st XV alongside Quade Cooper
. In 2005, he played for Australian Schoolboys rugby side.
, earning man of the match honours on multiple occasions in the tournament. He then made his Australian debut as a substitute against The Barbarians
on 3 December 2008.
Pocock made his Wallabies debut in Hong Kong
in late 2008, and then played against Italy and The Barbarians on the Wallabies spring tour. He captained the Australian Under-20s at the Junior World Championships in England in 2008, and was awarded the Emirates Western Force captaincy for the development tour of England later that year.
Pocock replaced longstanding Wallaby openside flanker George Smith, late in the 2009 Tri-Nations. In the Wales test in the 2009 Autumn Internationals, he put his thumb back into its socket after it had been dislocated and continued to play. He was, however, substituted at half-time and replaced by George Smith.
In 2010, Pocock became the first choice openside flanker for the Wallabies. Adam Freier
, former Wallabies hooker, commented that his performances that year had been "simply outstanding", and said that his talents had more than justified his selection in the Wallabies' starting fifteen. According to rugby writer Greg Growden, Pocock's skill at the breakdown has become a key focus of opposition teams trying to stop the Wallabies' game plan.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
player. He is the current Western Force
Western Force
Western Force is a rugby union team based in Perth, Western Australia playing in the international Super Rugby competition. They first competed in the 2006 season and finished with the wooden spoon in that year, however their performances greatly improved in 2007. In 2008 they finished in 8th...
and Wallabies
Australia national rugby union team
The Australian national rugby union team is the representative side of Australia in rugby union. The national team is nicknamed the Wallabies and competes annually with New Zealand and South Africa in the Tri-Nations Series, in which they also contest the Bledisloe Cup with New Zealand and the...
openside flanker, having assumed the latter position from George Smith.
Early and personal life
Pocock grew up in ZimbabweZimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
and emigrated to Australia in 2002.
He started off his rugby career when he was schooling at the Anglican Church Grammar School
Anglican Church Grammar School
The Anglican Church Grammar School , is an independent, Anglican, day and boarding school for boys, located in East Brisbane, an inner suburb of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.Founded in 1912 by Canon William Perry French Morris, Churchie has a non-selective...
in Brisbane, Australia, playing inside centre in the 1st XV alongside Quade Cooper
Quade Cooper
Quade S. Cooper is a New Zealand born Australian rugby union player.He currently plays for the Queensland Reds in the Super Rugby competition and the Australia national rugby union team, generally as fly-half.-Career:...
. In 2005, he played for Australian Schoolboys rugby side.
Rugby career
Pocock currently plays for the Force, where he made his debut against the Sharks in 2006. The Super 14 regulations kept him from playing any earlier in the season, as he was not yet 18. At the start of 2010, his younger brother Steve joined him at the Western Force. David Pocock made appearances for Australian Schoolboys and Australia A in the 2007 IRB Pacific Nations Cup2007 IRB Pacific Nations Cup
The 2007 IRB Pacific Nations Cup was a rugby union competition held between six Pacific Rim sides; Australia A, Fiji, Japan, Samoa, Tonga and the Junior All Blacks...
, earning man of the match honours on multiple occasions in the tournament. He then made his Australian debut as a substitute against The Barbarians
Barbarian F.C.
The Barbarian Football Club, usually referred to as the Barbarians and nicknamed the "Baa-Baas", is an invitational rugby union team based in Britain...
on 3 December 2008.
Pocock made his Wallabies debut in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
in late 2008, and then played against Italy and The Barbarians on the Wallabies spring tour. He captained the Australian Under-20s at the Junior World Championships in England in 2008, and was awarded the Emirates Western Force captaincy for the development tour of England later that year.
Pocock replaced longstanding Wallaby openside flanker George Smith, late in the 2009 Tri-Nations. In the Wales test in the 2009 Autumn Internationals, he put his thumb back into its socket after it had been dislocated and continued to play. He was, however, substituted at half-time and replaced by George Smith.
In 2010, Pocock became the first choice openside flanker for the Wallabies. Adam Freier
Adam Freier
Adam Freier is a rugby union footballer. He most recently played for the New South Wales Waratahs in the international Super 14 competition. His usual position is at hooker...
, former Wallabies hooker, commented that his performances that year had been "simply outstanding", and said that his talents had more than justified his selection in the Wallabies' starting fifteen. According to rugby writer Greg Growden, Pocock's skill at the breakdown has become a key focus of opposition teams trying to stop the Wallabies' game plan.