Watching round 9 of Super Rugby must have given Michael Cheika a headache, and not because his Waratahs side was well beaten at home by the Stormers. No, it was the game at Eden Park that will have left the Wallabies coach with the most thinking to do, in particular the performance of Brumbies flanker David Pocock.
Pocock has been magnificent since coming back from a second knee reconstruction operation, reminding fans across the world why before his injuries many regarded him as the finest openside flanker in the world.
Against the Blues he was immovable at the breakdown, turning the ball over on countless occasions and it is this incredible form that will have Cheika reaching for the asprin.
Michael Hooper, Cheika’s current Test captain, unfortunately plays in the same position as Pocock, and is also a menace to the opposition, particularly with his skills at the breakdown.
Few international coaches would complain about having two world-class players fighting for the same position and although Cheika will no doubt find a way to include both men, he will have sleepless nights deciding which one will be first choice for the Wallabies jersey.
One things for sure, if Pocock continues to perform like this, the smart money would be on him and Hooper might find himself doing a bit of bench warming come September.
