South African born Chris Alcock is the latest beneficiary among the next generation of backrowers to profit from the extraordinary run of bad luck to Australia’s Super 14 openside flankers.
Alcock, 21, was on Wednesday named in place of injured skipper Phil Waugh in the Waratahs side to face South Africa’s Cheetahs at the Sydney Football Stadium on Saturday.
The quadriceps strain suffered by Waugh means that all four Australian Super franchises have lost their first choice No.7 over the last few weeks.
Wallaby’s incumbent David Pocock was the first to fall, not making it past the Force’s first round fixture.
Last week, Brumbies and Wallabies stalwart George Smith and the Reds’ All Black flanker Daniel Braid both bit the dust.
In their place, the Brumbies bloodied 18-year-old Michael Hooper and the Reds gave just a third start and first at openside flanker to 19-year-old Jake Schatz.
Alcock, who was born in Durban but relocated to Australia with his family when he was 10, credited Waugh with teaching him the tricks of the flanker’s trade.
“He’s really taught me a lot and I’m really excited to get out there and hopefully show some stuff he’s taught me,” Alcock told reporters.
Waratah’s coach Chris Hickey was forced to make one other change to the side which shaded the Blues last weekend.
Wallaby Wycliff Palu was ruled out with a hamstring strain and replaced by Ben Mowen, with uncapped Locky McCaffrey coming on to the bench.
In Waugh’s absence, lock Dean Mumm will captain the team.
Winger Lachie Turner will become the youngest Waratah to win 50 caps beating the record set last year by hooker Tatafu Polota-Nau.
“It’s a pretty big honour, but one I don’t expect to be holding long with the likes of Kurtley Beale coming through,” Turner told reporters.
Beale, is 20 months younger than Turner and needs fewer than 10 caps to move past his backline colleague.
Turner acknowledged the Waratahs could find it hard going up front against the Cheetahs without Wallaby veterans Waugh and Palu.
“You have only got to look back to the Force game when we didn’t have Cliffy and how much some of the other guys had to stand up and do,” Turner said.
“We lacked a little bit of punch and Tatafu Polota-Nau had to do a lot of the work himself with the ball carrying and whilst he did it phenomenally, I think we missed that little bit of punch that Cliffy gives us.
“We looked back to 2007 when we didn’t have Waughy there and we finished in 13th position, so we’ve got our work cut out for us.”
Waratahs team for Saturday’s match is: Kurtley Beale, Lachie Turner, Rob Horne, Berrick Barnes, Drew Mitchell, Daniel Halangahu, Luke Burgess, Ben Mowen, Chris Alcock, Dave Dennis, Kane Douglas, Dean Mumm (capt), Al Baxter, Tatafu Polota-Nau, Benn Robinson. Reserves: Damien Fitzpatrick, Sekope Kepu, Will Caldwell, Locky Mccaffrey, Josh Holmes, Tom Carter, Sosene Anesi.
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