The most sickening sight so far in the Super Rugby tournament was David Pocock on crutches last night at Canberra Stadium.
The champion flanker lasted just 13 minutes against the Waratahs before he was writhing in agony with a suspected ruptured ACL joint.
As scans confirmed today, that’s the Lions series and the rest of the tournament on the sideline. Anything up to nine months.
That’s a three-way tragedy for Pocock, the Brumbies, and the Wallabies.
Surely the litany of injuries last season (35 in total), isn’t going to be repeated in 2013?
Former skippers James Horwill, and Will Genia, still haven’t reappeared for the Reds this season after long-term injuries, Anthony Fainga’a has just resumed.
Berrick Barnes hasn’t reappeared for the Waratahs yet either.
Kurtley Beale has broken his hand and will be out for a month, and is carrying a shoulder injury that must be operated on at the end of the season, if not before.
Drew Mitchell is injury-prone, while Digby Ioane, Adam Ashley-Cooper, and Tatafu Polota-Nau have question marks hanging over them too.
If the carnage continues the Lions series will be devastated. The Wallabies must be at full strength to make it memorable.
Wallaby coach Robbie Deans has some high quality praying to do to stop the rot.
It’s early days in the Super Rugby, and the loss of Pocock for the Brumbies will be felt. Last night George Smith returned to the capital for the first time in three years and brought the house down, not only in applause on entry, but the way he played.
The champions never lose it.
Smith will offset the Pocock loss to a point, but coach Jake White would be a whole lot happier if he had both on them on deck.
The Reds won’t beat many good sides until Horwill and Genia are back in action and firing.
They are winning, but winning ugly, and that’s not the Ewen McKenzie way.
The Waratahs are a cot case. They are trying to follow coach Michael Cheika’s open rugby plans, but their trying isn’t leading to tries.
In fact that’s the question, where are the men-in-blue heading? The answer is buried in their own minds.
One things for sure, the Tahs will not win tough games without a quality nine and 10.
Brendan McKibbin and Bernard Foley aren’t up to it, and Cheika obviously has recognised the fact having already signed Test half Nick Phipps from the Rebels for next season.
Not that Phipps is a world-beater, but he’s number three to Genia, and the Brumbies Nick White.
The Waratahs should never have let Kurtley Beale go, now they are paying a high price for their folly.
But it’s the high price Australian rugby is paying today with the David Pocock injury.
ANON69
Guest
Simple answer, Liam Gill. Nice to see his name entering Deans' vocabulary since Saturday. With his all round game, he is the closest to George Smith.
Hightackle
Guest
Also Rob ol pal, your editing needs a bit of work. I did not say that those players are better than Sharpe and Smith. I said I believe some of those players are better than Sharpe and Smith BEING SIGNED OVERSEAS COMPLICATES THINGS. Also Rob we dont know if Smith is the better option after ONE GAME!!!! Sure hes been playing overseas but Gill hasnt, Hooper hasnt. They have been playing exceptionally well for their Super Clubs and Australia. Now Im a bit more realistic than you and I know that just becuz a player was the 2nd best option 4 years ago behind Pocock does not mean we slot him in ahead of others now. Deans has said hes not a reality and I doubt he will select him over Gill or Hooper unless Smith is amazing in every game and Gill or Hooper get injured. Thats how it should be
Hightackle
Guest
If we are selecting on records rather than the obvious things that you are ignoring like Sharpe being retired, Smith having signed overseas, only having played 1 game so far and not in consideration at the mo from the coaches own mouth. However, lets select Elsom and Giteau too, I mean Higgs, Quirk and Mowen have not accomplished what Elsom has right? Also no 1st or 2nd 5 has done what Gits has done right? Better select them. So its settled, we will pick players based on last years form or even better, form from 4 years ago at the expense of players playing extremely well and signed for Australia for the whole damn season. Brilliant idea...not. ABs should select Brad Thorn too, I wonder what Buck Shelfords up to.
Hightackle
Guest
Gill has been blooded and around the Wallaby set up for a year now and Mogg may get a run but if its him or JOC for example, Mogg will miss out.
Hightackle
Guest
Who said anything about easy. Seriously Red Kev I dont think you believe half the stuff you say. You cant. Imo its just you being bias and anti Deans at all costs. No coach is going to blood players to any great extent in such a high pressure series as the Lions. No coach. Traditionaly players are eased in bit by bit against teams like Italy, Samoa, Fiji, Arg, Ire or on the eoyt genrally etc. Its not that those tests are easy but they do lend themselves to players being blooded. Players dont get blooded much in Lions series or WC finals Kev. Now Kev you can deny reality and pretend this is not what normally happens to support your (yawn) bias against mean ol nasty Deans or you can get real.
Hightackle
Guest
WTF are you talking about? Horwill is a better lock than Sharpe for a start and I never said anything that you said I did? WTF? Now read my post again, dont make stuff up and get back to me. How strange.
Malo
Guest
Brett have to agree Dave Dennis does nothing apart from lineouts. The bookies will be changing them odds, as Pocok is so far above the rest of the 7s pack.
Malo
Guest
Have to agree with you Rae1, the way Australia plays the kamikaze rucks non stop with little imagination will be prone to serious injuries. Brett have to agree with analysis, sure Dennis ok in lineouts but does nothing around the park to support Hooper. HT - Smith & Mowen and Hooper were a class above Hooper and that was his first game with limited preparation and off the bench. Im sure they can alter the contract if Smith continues his form.
GWS
Guest
That's what he gets signing with the tahs
Comrade Bear
Roar Rookie
lol - agreed!
Rob na Champassak
Roar Guru
'I believe some of those players are better than Sharpe and Smith'. Well, Sharpe is not playing Super Rugby anymore, and Smith has only had one game back, so it's early days; but you know, I think I can still nominate that first line of yours for 'Most Ridiculous Use Of Hyperbole On The Roar Not Concerning Quade Cooper'. Sharpe's form last season made him far and away the best lock in Australia. George Smith himself is the most decorated Australian Rugby player in the modern game. Not a single player that you listed is even approaching the kind of record that either of these players can boast of. Your argument seems to infer some skepticism about the current form of these ageing and otherwise retired Australian rugby greats - a fair point to make, but completely undermined by an asinine comparison based on limited data with players who quite clearly are not in the same class. WB's point was not that Smith and Sharpe should be automatically selected, but that they surely would be if they were able to make themselves available. Selection does demand for them to be the best in their position, but based off what I have seen of George playing for Suntory (he didn't just disappear for three years, he has been playing rugby) and on Sharpe's form as recently as October last year, it would be hard to imagine them not being selected. And you know what? Douglas, Fardy, Neville, Pyle, Simmons, Timani, Horwill, Gill, Hooper - not a man among them has ever shown the kind of form that Smith and Sharpe have shown over the last twelve months.
Red Kev
Guest
In case you hadn't noticed the Wallabies don't play any "easy" tests, not even on the EoYT. The time for blooding players is when they are better than the incumbent - that is what a good coach does. If Mogg's form holds that will be in June against the Lions. If Gill's form holds that will be in June against the Lions.
WOLF
Guest
100% agree.
Kane
Guest
At the moment it stands 13v8 tet played 796v129 minutes played just over 6 times as much test footy played. Although ten of Hoopers minutes were spent in the bin.
Brett McKay
Expert
And right at the moment Kev, Hooper's claims are not being helped by the lack of breakdown support he's getting from his fellow backrowers. That's why it doesn't look like he's very effective at the moment, turnover-wise. Compare that to when Gill gets in after a ball, an it's no surprise Gill looks a lot better this season so far..
Red Kev
Guest
Hooper started, if you look at minutes kpm is right I'm pretty sure. I still think it will come down to season form for the starting no.7 spot against the Lions.
Hopperdoggy
Guest
KPM, Hooper 11 caps, Gill 8. What's the definition of "far more international rugby"? Gill does turnovers and is a lineout option. In general play & defence I'd put them equal. Gill is a slightly more rounded player for mine. You'd have to think what may separate them is form as running options over the next several weeks.
Hopperdoggy
Guest
Maybe his thighs were having an argument about which is the biggest and one of his knees got fed up with bickering and checked out?
rl
Guest
assuming Horwill comes back and plays well, can't argue with that. The Tahs locks did themselves no favours on the weekend (and I take no pleasure in saying it, because we need them to be strong every year, let alone a Lions year).
rl
Guest
TPN did his hammy by throwing himself head first into a melee? If that is indeed the case, he truly does have a remarkable gift for injuring himself!