Pocock the Great?
David Pocock v Richie McCaw
Hackles, along with eyebrows and blood pressure, were raised New Zealand wide recently with Robbie Deans’ assertion that Australia’s David Pocock was the greatest openside flanker to play the game.
The reason for such consternation around the small islands at the bottom of the globe? Simple. The All Black number 7 jersey is a sacred thing – it’s the glamour position, worn by the player which children around the country emulate in their backyards and school grounds, and we reckon over the years we’ve produced more than our fair share of fantastic openside flankers. And one of them, in fact probably the best of them all, is still playing today. That man is, of course, Richie McCaw.
Pocock and McCaw should have met this weekend in the final round of Super XV, but with Pocock’s season coming to a premature end through injury the argument about who is the greatest loose forward is left very much open for discussion.
In 2001 then-coach John Mitchell, along with his fellow selectors, saw the inherent potential in a young McCaw, and despite Josh Kronfeld lamenting the ease with which All Black jerseys were being given out, gave the young Canterbury flanker his test debut against Ireland on New Zealand’s end of year tour of the UK. Almost immediately McCaw became the kind of player (like the great Michael ‘Iceman’ Jones before him) that opposition coaches create game plans specifically for, seeing the ability to contain McCaw (which few, if any sides have managed to do on a regular basis) as the key to beating the All Blacks as a whole.
McCaw revolutionised openside play, his innate ability to run great lines, his seemingly bottomless reserves of energy, and his pace around the paddock enabling him to have a huge effect on each and every match he played in. His influence on a weekly basis was such that he soon become at once the most analysed, criticised and idolised player on the planet.
The McCaw we see today is a different player. His top end speed has diminished, and his body is famously battered and broken. But, if anything, his influence on a side is greater now than it ever has been. Any physical toll that years of putting his body on the line has taken on him has been more than compensated for by the experience he has gained, and he has become a player of unparalleled intelligence and instinct.
Put quite simply, without McCaw the All Blacks would not have won the World Cup.
Across the Tasman, Pocock is unquestionably an incredibly talented footballer, and because of this the All Blacks paid him huge respect when the two sides met in last year’s World Cup semi-final at Eden Park. Recognising his ability at the break-down the All Black coaches conceived a plan to take away his ability to scrounge for the ball at rucks – that plan was pretty straight-forward – they ran at him.
By forcing him to make tackles the All Blacks managed to trap him at the bottom of the ruck, negating his ability to stand off and time his entry to the contest, and rendered him virtually totally ineffective for the whole match.
The rest is history, with the All Blacks grinding out a courageous win against the French in the final. So, while Richie McCaw was heroically leading his nation to World Cup glory, Pocock’s influence vanished when simply asked to tackle the other team.
Before we can even consider whether David Pocock is the greatest openside flanker of all time, we need to ask whether he is even the best Australia has produced in recent times. Former NSW flanker Phil Waugh had a low centre of gravity like Pocock, and was incredibly strong and efficient at the break-down, while George Smith probably came closer than anyone else to combatting Richie McCaw.
If Dean’s statement was correct, one would assume that the ‘greatest openside flanker of all time’ would be far superior to anyone else playing against him currently, but McCaw aside, is he even the best loose forward in International Rugby today? The UK has produced some fabulous talent of late, with young Welsh skipper Sam Warburton and robust Irishman Sean O’Brien leading the pack. And in last year’s World Cup South Africans Heinrich Brussow (himself an amazing scavenger at ruck time) and the ever-imposing Schalk Burger were two of the tournament’s most impressive performers. Pocock’s up there, no doubt, but at best I can say that he is in the top 5 or so opensides going round in world rugby at the moment, and one of the best Australia has produced in the last ten or fifteen years.
As for McCaw? The game has changed so much over the years, and it’s impossible to do justice to the players from 50 years or more ago by comparing them to the modern, professional athletes of today. But, personally, if I was picking an all-time greatest All Blacks side McCaw gets the 7 jersey, although there’s still room for the Iceman on the blindside.
Tags: All Blacks, David Pocock, Richie McCaw, Robbie Deans, Wallabies
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Comments (7)
Great article Tim. I’d have to find Deans’ quote, but I wonder if he actually said Pocock was the greatest. I thought he said he was the best over the ball, which is a more realistic claim.
To be fair, Pocock is so good over the ball that I doubt Australia would have beaten Wales if it wasn’t for the number of occasions he turned the ball over when Wales was hot on attack.
McCaw has become a much more well rounded player, and was probably never as good over the ball as Pocock is.
McCaw would be in my team every time though.
Yeah you’re right Mike, I’ve taken a few liberties here in my rant! Deans’ comments came in response to a question about whether he’d ever seen someone so good at getting to their feet and competing for the ball.
To be honest, I think Deans could have said ‘Pocock has a better haircut than Richie McCaw’ and got a rise out of most kiwis!
Still, it’s a huge comment to make about a player whose international career is still reasonably young in the big scheme of things.
No question Pocock is a quality player though.
You’re right. NZ went absolutely nuts at the implication that Richie McCaw might not be the best at something.
NZers better get used to it though. Like it or not, McCaw’s career is now in its twilight and his place at the top will be questioned more and more often. I can’t remember a time when openside flanker has been so strong in world rugby. As you point out, Pocock, Warburton, Brussow, O’Brien – it’s pretty impressive. Australia have some dynamite coming through in Liam Gill and young Hooper.
In the end, it’s hardly unlikely ever will have a career like McCaw though. His is straight out of a Boy’s Own Annual magazine.
I think this a really interesting debate.
It is rather difficult to compare though as while McCaw has been in the game for over a decade now, Pocock is in essence just starting off.
Perhaps a fairer comparison would be McCaw re 2003/4 vs Pocock now.
As a purely physical specimen, Pocock seems superior but for all round nouse, leadership and influence, McCaw leads the way for me. How many games has McCaw seemed to have won in his own. He seems to perform to his best level on the biggest occasions too.
McCaw has also shown that he can adapt his game with age and still stay at the top. Pocock hasn’t shown that yet.
it will fascinating to see how Pocock’s game progresses over the years.
The new rivalry looks most likely to be Cane vs Pocock, given the selectors earmarking of the young Chief for the 7 position.
Good calls Phil.
I think that was the main issue I had – that it’s relatively early in Pocock’s career to talk about him being the best ever in any particular area. Still, Deans is entitled to his own opinions, as we all are, and I dare say he’s spotted more talent throughout his career than I have from the comfort of my couch!
Looking to the future, I don’t know that New Zealand have another ‘freak’ openside in the pipelines at the moment. Over the last 25 years we’ve been graced with Jones, Kronfeld and McCaw, with some quality fill-ins helping out, but I’m not sure that Cane, or Matt Todd, who seems to have fallen off the radar after being touted as the next big thing, can fill such big boots. Time will tell!
The interesting thing about a potential Pocock v Cane debate is that it will have some of the same elements as Pocock v McCaw. Cane isn’t a specialist fetcher either and has a far broader game, in particularly in his linking.
True, I don’t thnk there have been the same mutterings about cane as there were with McCaw, but he still looks like a talented player.
Like Mike said though, Cane seems to be a different type of player who links play more, like a Josh Kronfield or a Martyn Williams rather than a McCaw.
He certainly looked the goods against Ireland. he is young too so he has time on his hands.
What do you think of John Kirwan’s appointment at the Blues? As a Blues fan I have been keeping a keen eye on the whole situation.
I’ve written a post on it on my blog too if you care to read it
http://dumptackle.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/john-kirwan-looks-to-turn-blues.html