Pocock proves a forager on and off field
August 3, 2009 - 1:56PM
If rugby fans thought Wallabies flanker David Pocock had a knack for ball scavenging, they should see him foraging for tickets.
Pocock, though, has a special reason for desperately hunting down all the tickets he can get his hands on for the Wallabies' Tri Nations clash with the Springboks in Cape Town on Saturday.
The young back-rower is hoping to play for the first time against the country he dreamed of playing for while growing up in neighbouring Zimbabwe.
Until migrating to Australia in 2002, Pocock idolised Springboks stars Andre Venter and Bobby Skinstad and never imagined pulling on a Wallabies jumper.
"If I had have stayed there, my goal would have been to play for the Springboks," Pocock said.
"There are a lot of Zimbabweans who have played for the Springboks. At the moment, there are a few playing for them.
"But now I'm definitely looking forward to playing against them. I'm really excited.
"Newlands is a great venue and the Springboks are coming in off the win against New Zealand and the Lions Test (series), so they'd probably be pretty confident.
"They've got a lot of momentum going into it, so it's a massive challenge for us but one we're really looking forward to."
Pocock, 21, still has strong ties with his troubled former homeland, including a charity group Twenty-Eighty Vision which he formed with a mate to provide funds for a local church in the village of Nkayi.
So, not surprisingly, he has promised loads of family and friends free entry to Saturday's game.
"I'll be working on tickets. I might need a few for all of them," he said.
"I've still got a lot of family there and, with the charity there now, I'm hoping to get back there into Zimbabwe at the end of the year."
Considering his humanitarian efforts and undoubted on-field talents, it is little wonder Pocock is widely considered a Wallabies captain in the making.
His more immediate goal, though, is combating South Africa's dynamic flanker Heinrich Brussow, who has brought a new dimension to the Springboks back row since replacing the powerhouse Schalk Burger in the starting side.
"He is definitely a key for them," Pocock said.
"He is sort of more what Australians would go for as a seven, more on the ball and really gets in there hard and has a go.
"With him in the team, they have definitely improved at the breakdown.
"He has been a standout at Super 14 level for the last few seasons with the Cheetahs so, for South Africa, it's something they can rely on more rather than just having a big pack - having a guy who can get them heaps of turnovers."
© 2009 AAP
http://news.rugbyheaven.com.au/break...0803-e6s2.html
Ed: And that would be his charity Eightytwenty vision http://www.eightytwentyvision.org/index.html
Pocock realises a dream - sort of
Sorry, I just realised this is virtually identical to an earlier thread...
Not ten years ago, David Pocock had never even conceived playing his rugby in Australian gold after spending childhood and adolescence in Zimbabwe.
Pocock and family emigrated from the trouble-torn country in 2002, with the up-and-coming flanker having spent his years until then idolising South Africans Andre Venter and later, Bobby Skinstad.
Read more: http://www.planetrugby.com/story/0,2...469991,00.html
