Monday’s rugby news has Pocock’s return, Liam Gill cited, the Brumbies talking rivalry and the Six Nations up for grabs.
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Pocock back against Tahs
Former Wallabies captain David Pocock is almost certain to return against the Waratahs after a month out with ankle syndesmosis sustained in round one. While Pocock may well return from the bench, with Brumbies coach Stephen Larkham reluctant to tinker with his in-form back row of Ita Vaea, Jarrad Butler and Scott Fardy, his return will nonetheless create an intriguing matchup with current Test openside Michael Hooper.
If Pocock is declared fit, this weekend will be the first time the pair have matched up since 2012, when both were playing for different Super Rugby franchises. Larkham for one has emphasised that the Wallaby coaches must find a way to include them both in the same team.
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Gill cited for dangerous tackle
Queensland Reds flanker Liam Gill has been cited for what Brumbies coach Stephen Larkham described as a “reckless, dangerous” throw tackle on Nic White. With the Reds down 17-0 and defending their line in the 47th minute, Gill’s frustrations boiled over when he picked up White and threw him over his head.
The tackle not only landed Gill a yellow card but opened a gap in the ruck to allow Ben Alexander to score. Stephen Larkham saw the tackle as considerably more dangerous than a yellow card, saying, “What concerned me was he was upside down and he got thrown to the ground and he’s a halfback who’s meant to be protected.”
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ACT ready for ‘rivalry-match’
The Brumbies have begun to talk up the rivalry aspect of this week’s away match against the Waratahs, with skipper Stephen Moore promising that his team will bring a sense of old-school attitude into the fixture.
Coach Stephen Larkham traced the rivalry back to the creation of the ACT franchise in 1996, when many formation players bitterly felt like NSW offcuts. “So we have that history to us,” he said, adding, “What we dislike the most now is that they’re the champions, and they’re the team to beat.” A Brumbies win would see them open up a gap of up to 15 points on the Tahs at the top of the Australian conference.
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Three-way tie for Six nations
England have jumped to the top of the Six Nations race with a 25-13 victory over Scotland, setting up an extremely tight finish to the competition. England are only leading on points differential, with both Ireland and Wales also on six points heading into the final round next Saturday.
Wales (+12 points) will face off against Italy, before the Irish (34) play Scotland in Edinburgh and the English (37) host France. English coach Stuart Lancaster insisted that his team will have to take their attacking opportunities after some sloppy finishing against Scotland. “We will have to be sharper than we were here to beat France, that’s for sure,” he said.
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