NZ expect Pocock to suit up for Oz; Creevy boost for Pumas ahead of SA tie

Perth: New Zealand expect Australia’s David Pocock to be “right in the thick of things” when the teams meet in Saturday’s Rugby Championship Test in Perth, despite the loose forward not having played since March.

Pocock missed most of the Super Rugby season, as well as Australia’s first two Tests of the Rugby Championship against South Africa and Argentina, with a calf injury, but was last week named in their squad for the match against the All Blacks.

The 31-year-old openside flanker tweeted on Monday that he had returned to training with the main squad and New Zealand flanker Sam Cane said he expected Pocock to go straight back into the Wallabies’ starting line-up.

“I would expect (Pocock) to come back and be right in the thick of things,” Cane said. “Your match fitness is not normally where you want it to be but because you have been in those situations before you can normally just push on through.

“A guy like David Pocock, his best and worst game is not a big margin between them.”

With the World Cup in Japan fast approaching, the Wallabies might be tempted to start Pocock on the bench or even hold back his return to action a little longer.

Meanwhile, Argentina have recalled experienced hooker Agustin Creevy and will have a completely new second row for their final Rugby Championship Test against South Africa in Salta on Saturday.

Former captain Creevy, who sat out the 16-10 loss to Australia in the previous match with a shoulder injury, comes in for Julian Montoya, who drops to the bench.

Matias Alemanno and Marcos Kremer will make up the lock pairing, taking over from Guido Petti and Tomas Lavanini, while Javier Ortega Desio replaces Tomas Lezana at flanker.

South Africa captain Siya Kolisi will return from injury to play for Western Province in their domestic Currie Cup clash against the Mpumalanga Pumas at Newlands on Friday.

Flank Kolisi, the Springboks’ first black Test captain and an influential figure both on and off the pitch, injured his knee playing Super Rugby in May, which had cast doubts over his participation in next month’s Rugby World Cup.

Agence France-Presse