Pocock boost for Brumbies

 

Pocock hasn’t featured for the Brumbies since Round One, but the former Wallabies and Brumbies captain has successfully rehabbed a syndesmosis injury and is the only change in a 23 man-squad named to tackle the reigning champs.

 

For the third-straight week the Brumbies have named an unchanged starting side.

 

Head coach Stephen Larkham’s backline has remained consistent since Round one and Captain Stephen Moore is back in the driver’s seat for his third straight game as skipper.

 

Moore said it was the sort of consistency his side needed to get a result in Sydney.

 

“It certainly helps having consistency through the group week in, week out.

 

Bringing David off the bench is exciting not only for him but for the rest of the boys, we all enjoy playing with him,” Moore said.

 

“This is a big game in the context of our season. They are the current champions and to knock them off at home would be huge for us moving into to the middle of our season.”

 

Of the 25 times this fixture has been played, the Brumbies have managed 11 wins but only two have been away from Canberra.

 

At the Sydney Football Stadium the Waratahs have never fallen to the Brumbies and rubber stamped their authority there last year with an emphatic, 26-8 win.

 

A semifinal, the loss knocked the Brumbies out of contention for the Super Rugby Final which the Waratahs managed to clinch against the Crusaders just a week later.

 

The Brumbies last win in Sydney came in 2012 when they put the Waratahs away 19-15. 

 

Since then the Tahs have managed wins in Sydney against the Brumbies on three occasions – once in 2013 (28-22) and twice in 2014 (39-8 and 26-8).

 

Brumbies: 15 Robbie Coleman, 14 Henry Speight, 13 Tevita Kuridrani, 12 Christian Lealiifano, 11 Joe Tomane, 10 Matt Toomua, 9 Nic White, 8 Ita Vaea, 7 Jarrad Butler, 6 Scott Fardy, 5 Sam Carter, 4 Rory Arnold, 3 Scott Sio, 2 Stephen Moore (captain), 1 Ben Alexander.

Replacements: 16 Josh Mann-Rea, 17 Jean-Pierre Smith, 18 Ruan Smith, 19 Jordan Smiler, 20 David Pocock, 21 Michael Dowsett, 22 James Dargaville, 23 Lausii Taliauli.

 

Date: Sunday, March 22

Venue: Allianz Stadium, Sydney

Kick-off: 16.05 (05.05 GMT)

Referee: Craig Joubert (South Africa)

Assistant Referees: Jaco Peyper, Stuart Berry (both South Africa)

TMO: George Ayoub