The impending Hooper vs Pocock Dilemma

Scrubber2050 · Feb 17, 2015

The bloke is now a crock

I should say one bloke is INCREDIBLY durable and the other bloke is great WHEN and IF he is on the park,

fatprop · Feb 17, 2015

Ruggo said:
Pocock any day of the week. Not a hard choice at all. People in Australian Rugby have short memories and love clinging onto the new next big hope. We did it to George Smith when Pocock hit the international scene.

Which Pocock?

The one from three years ago or the one injured after one game in 2015?

Braveheart81 · Feb 17, 2015

If both of them are fit they'll both be in the RWC squad. There's a pretty strong chance both would be in the best matchday 23 and a modest chance they'd both be squeezed into the starting XV.

Scrubber2050 · Feb 17, 2015

Braveheart81 said:
If both of them are fit they'll both be in the RWC squad. There's a pretty strong chance both would be in the best matchday 23 and a modest chance they'd both be squeezed into the starting XV.

How wouold you fit them in

Braveheart81 · Feb 17, 2015

Scrubber2050 said:
How wouold you fit them in

Not exactly sure and I probably wouldn't but you could see that there would definitely be a temptation because they're two of the most influential players we have.

They could play 6 and 7 if you had two good lineout locks and a good jumping number 8.

Both of them provide a lot of what we struggle with from the rest of the pack when they're not there. If Hooper was a bit bigger I think there'd be a huge case to play them at 6 and 7 respectively.

I like to watch · Feb 17, 2015

fatprop said:
Which Pocock?

The one from three years ago or the one injured after one game in 2015?

That's way too harsh,I reckon.
I thought he went better than expected,the injury he copped is just one of those things.
competition for spots is a wonderful thing in my view.

A mutterer · Feb 17, 2015

I wish we had this sort of luxurious debate across the entire squad.

Braveheart81 · Feb 17, 2015

A mutterer said:
I wish we had this sort of luxurious debate across the entire squad.

Absolutely.

One of the biggest reasons why we even contemplate playing two openside flankers is that we are trying to cover shortfalls in the rest of the pack.

If we had a big ball running lock who was also decent in the lineouts I think we'd remove a lot of this problem but at this stage we don't have that player.

Scrubber2050 · Feb 17, 2015

Braveheart81 said:
Not exactly sure and I probably wouldn't but you could see that there would definitely be a temptation because they're two of the most influential players we have.

They could play 6 and 7 if you had two good lineout locks and a good jumping number 8.

Both of them provide a lot of what we struggle with from the rest of the pack when they're not there. If Hooper was a bit bigger I think there'd be a huge case to play them at 6 and 7 respectively.

Would agree if Hooper was bigger. Trouble is that he is not and 7 remains his only spot.

At 6 or even 8, Pocock would be ineffective - he is a specialist 7 as well

One of them will take the spot - Gill and others are a long way behind both

It seems to me that both will not be in the gameday 23

fatprop · Feb 17, 2015

I like to watch said:
That's way too harsh,I reckon.
I thought he went better than expected,the injury he copped is just one of those things.
competition for spots is a wonderful thing in my view.

Harsh? maybe

And I do want to see competition

I just wanted to highlight he has to get some consistent runs on the board, his one game in a few years didn't re-write the history books, as his best work in the game was hanging on to the arse of someone else driving a maul.

I didn't see that Pocock special of a cutting tackle with the immediate release where he slides into a standing position and attacks the ball in one movement.

Hopefully he gets back on the field playing long minutes in a number of games in a row and finds that form.

Tomikin · Feb 17, 2015

Scrubber2050 said:
Would agree if Hooper was bigger. Trouble is that he is not and 7 remains his only spot.

At 6 or even 8, Pocock would be ineffective - he is a specialist 7 as well

One of them will take the spot - Gill and others are a long way behind both

It seems to me that both will not be in the gameday 23

I dont get that, our pack will lack in what one of them is good, wait great at.. if we start Poey and have breakdown dominance there's no reason not to pull him and put Hooper on to crave up with a running game.. or start Hooper but if we are getting belted at the breakdown, you have poey to throw in... I wouldn't put them on at the same time.. But you could swing a game with what they bring to the table... You would be stupid not to have that much effect on a game with 1 player change..

TOCC · Feb 17, 2015

Who pushes harder In the scrum?
Dual open-sides isn't an option while Australia struggles at the scrum..

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Tomikin · Feb 17, 2015

TOCC said:
Who pushes harder In the scrum?
Dual open-sides isn't an option while Australia struggles at the scrum..

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I dont think that was aimed at me, but I could have either of them on the bench to swap with each other.. I wouldn't play them at the same time.

Wilson · Feb 17, 2015

TOCC said:
Who pushes harder In the scrum?
Dual open-sides isn't an option while Australia struggles at the scrum..

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

There was some footage going around a while ago of some good Australian scrums when pocock was last fit, its beautiful to see him straight backed and shoulder clapped on, but it may have just been those scrums. Can't say I have any memory of him ever meerkating while we were going backwards though.

Tomikin · Feb 17, 2015

Wilson said:
There was some footage going around a while ago of some good Australian scrums when pocock was last fit, its beautiful to see him straight backed and shoulder clapped on, but it may have just been those scrums. Can't say I have any memory of him ever meerkating while we were going backwards though.

I think for a long time we never scrumed as an 8, Hooper wasn't the first to meerkat, they all have.. we just didn't care before. The idea that Hoopers the scrum issue is pretty ridiculous....

Jagman · Feb 17, 2015

Can remember an article a few years back, maybe quite a few now, where Benn Robinson remarked that having Pocock as his flanker was like being pushed by another second rower.

Tomikin · Feb 17, 2015

Jagman said:
Can remember an article a few years back, maybe quite a few now, where Benn Robinson remarked that having Pocock as his flanker was like being pushed by another second rower.

I also heard that Brad Throne was like a V8 engine up the arse of a munster prop. Robinson may have said that but Im pretty sure our scrum was pretty bad when Poey was there as well ? I want Poey there for different reasons but Scrumming ain't his strong point..

Hoolly Doolly · Feb 18, 2015

After a long lay off i expected poey to have some early minor leg injuries till the bio mechanics between his feet to his hips correct and strengthen themselves. Anyone who has done a major injury in their lower or upper legs understand this.

Hoolly Doolly · Feb 18, 2015

Scrubber2050 said:
W
One of them will take the spot - Gill and others are a long way behind both

Gill maybe but Hodgo and McMahon arent that far off the pace. I still rate Hodgo ahead of Hooper but thats just me.

G_Beard · Feb 18, 2015

If other flanks are included in this, then there can be no reason why Chris Alcock cannot be put forward as a distinct possibility.

The impending Hooper vs Pocock Dilemma

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