Australia’s World Cup semi-final hopes have been given a massive boost after influential starters David Pocock and Israel Folau were named to start against Argentina on Sunday.
Pocock and Folau won a race against time to complete the team’s final full training session on Friday morning local time and were named in Michael Cheika’s starting side later in the day.
Pocock, a back row linchpin at No.8, had been battling a calf strain picked up in the Wallabies’ pool match against Wales, while fullback Folau had been struggling to run on a rolled ankle.
Neither player trained fully this week, with Pocock confined to a bicycle and Folau spending more time in ice than on the training paddock.
But in a sign of their importance to the team, coach Michael Cheika was prepared to give them both until the team’s captain’s run on Saturday to make the final call on their inclusion.
Prop Scott Sio was not so lucky with an elbow injury picked up against Scotland. He was ruled out late in the week, leaving experienced Queensland starter James Slipper to pack down at loosehead and Toby Smith to take Slipper’s spot on the bench.
The remainder of the line-up is unchanged from Australia’s quarter-final clash with Scotland, with Kurtley Beale waiting to start at fullback should he be needed and Ben McCalman bracketed with Pocock in the back row.
Drew Mitchell survived pressure from NSW winger Rob Horne to keep his spot in the starting line-up. Horne has been pressing for selection after making a miraculous return from a shoulder injury.
The Wallabies were staying positive after a day off on Thursday and a final training session near Twickenham on Friday, but the talk outside the camp revolved around whether the Australia’s final hopes had been dealt a killer blow.
Earlier in the week, Wallabies No.7 Michael Hooper, who will celebrate his 50th Test cap on Sunday, bristled at suggestions Pocock’s absence would spell disaster for Australia’s campaign.
“He’s an outstanding player first of all, he has a great impact on a game, as the back row needs to do, and he’s done that throughout the competition,” Hooper said.
“In saying that, [McCalman] had a great game on the weekend, 10-plus carries, a lot of good dominant tackles, so it’s not like for like with those guys or me or Dave.
“It’s about bringing your own spark and Ben definitely did that, and so did [Rebels back rower Sean McMahon] when I was out of the picture as well.”
The side was were in a good headspace despite a second straight week of will-he-or-won’t-he dramas clouding their preparations, coach Michael Cheika said.
“I think that there’s a lot of really motivated people involved with everything we’re doing and not just for what is the end prize but for what we’ve been growing our team around … and what that means to not just us but to others,” Cheika said.
Hooper said the team had coped well with the selection uncertainty.
“It’s fairly common for guys to be not training at the start of the week in expectation they’ll get right by the end,” he said.
“Poey’s doing a great job. You see him running and running well, we just deal with it as best we can and fill in spots and work as a collective group as the great amount of back rowers we have filling in positions and just changing roles.”
The biggest on-field adjustment will be doing without Pocock’s prowess over the ball, but Hooper was adamant the likes of No.6 Scott Fardy, McCalman and himself had more than enough technical know-how to give the Pumas a run for their money around the ruck.
“Something Cheik wants you to do is focus on what you’re good at, what you can bring tot the field, what your abilities are,” Hooper he said.
“I can’t play the same as Poey and Poey can’t play the same as me, neither can Benny, and Fards is going to trot around as he always does.
“We’re focusing on bringing our own light to the game and that’s what we tried to do on the weekend.”
Australia: Israel Folau, Adam Ashley-Cooper, Tevita Kuridrani, Matt Giteau, Drew Mitchell, Bernard Foley, Will Genia, David Pocock, Michael Hooper, Scott Fardy, Rob Simmons, Kane Douglas, Sekope Kepu, Stephen Moore (c), James Slipper. Reserves: Tatafu Polota-Nau, Toby Smith, Greg Holmes, Dean Mumm, Ben McCalman, Nick Phipps, Matt Toomua, Kurtley Beale.
