Australian rugby’s most-capped player is backing champion flanker David Pocock to make a stirring return to the Bledisloe Cup cauldron.
It’s most unlikely to happen on Saturday night, but World Cup winner turned Wallabies consultant George Gregan says why not give Pocock a crack at the All Blacks at Eden Park next week.
Restricted to three games for the Brumbies this season, Pocock retired from Super Rugby in March after suffering a rare calf injury during a Wallabies training camp in January.
But the reigning John Eales Medallist has been back doing full-contact sessions with the Wallabies in Perth, placing the world champion All Blacks on guard.
While Pocock is at long odds to feature in this weekend’s series opener at Optus Stadium, Gregan would love to see the Wallabies’ deadliest weapon in action in Bledisloe II in Auckland.
“He’s got to get through a week of full-on running and training and, once he does that, I think he’s not too far away. Then they’ll say he’s ready to play a Test match,” Gregan told The Back Page on Fox Sports.
“So he went from not being able to run – they had a lot of issues with that calf – but he’s almost close to completing a full week of training and I think if he could do that, then why not throw him in?
“We know what he does when he comes back from a long break. It’s not as though he needs two or three games to get his rhythm. His rhythm’s always pretty damn good, Poey.”
The most experienced Wallaby in history, Gregan has enjoyed assisting Michael Cheika in a cameo role during the Rugby Championship.
The 139-Test halfback spent time with Australia’s playmakers and leadership group before clashes with Argentina and South Africa in Brisbane and Johannesburg.
“I’ve done a little bit with the halves and the team attack, just helping with fundamentals. It’s nothing magic and it’s really specific stuff,” Gregan said.
“Any good team, in all codes, particularly in rugby, your nines and 10s, your playmakers, need to have to have a good combination, be on the same page, utilise where the space is.”
Even with a bird’s eye view, Gregan said he couldn’t split the frontline contenders for Australia’s No.9 and No.10 jumpers six weeks out from the Wallabies’ World Cup opener in Japan on September 21.
“(Five-eighths) Christian Lealiifano and obviously Bernard Foley, they both bring a lot to the team,” he said.
“Both very good communicators. Both bring the ball to the line and can pass both sides of body – short and long.
“I’m getting too technical, but you get the same with the halves as well with Will Genia and Nic White, who’s just come back from the UK.
“So you don’t lose with whoever you start with and that’s a good place to be.”