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DAVID Pocock concedes there are no guarantees he and skipper Michael Hooper can start together in the backrow for next year’s World Cup.

With pressure mounting on the Wallabies’ lineout, having both openside flank specialists in the starting team at the expense of a fourth specialist jumping option will be a constant point of debate up to Japan 2019.

Pocock and Hooper, often dubbed “Pooper” by the rugby public, have been starting together since 2015 when they made the World Cup final in England, but poor results since have given Australia’s No.8 no security the partnership can be sustained over the next 11 months.

“No, I love playing alongside Hoops, but that’s up to the coaches and what they think is going to be best for us as a team,” Pocock said.

“I’ll stay out of that one. I really rate Mike as a person, as a captain, as a player. I love playing alongside him and we’ve worked hard at trying to get that combination working as best we can.”

Pocock and Hooper are likely to be joined in the backrow by Jack Dempsey against Wales in Cardiff this weekend, while Samu Kerevi looks set to regain the No.13 jersey, with Israel Folau, Dane Haylett-Petty and Sefanaia Naivalu to form the back three, and Marika Koroibete relegated.

While Pocock and Hooper have been regularly used as lineout jumpers, the alarming number of throws lost by the Wallabies in key moments this year has exposed the lack of a fourth specialist.

“I think we’re both pretty handy jumpers,” Pocock said.

“That’s always going to be talked about. That’s up to the coaches in terms of the profile they’re looking for.”

Wallabies hooker Folau Fainga’a said having Pocock and Hooper start together did not affect the lineout throwers.

“No it doesn’t make a difference. He’s got strong lifters behind him and around him ... For us it’s just, no matter where he jumps, we’ve just got to hit the target really.”

With bulldozing Fijian No.8 Isi Naisarani becoming eligible for the Wallabies next year, and Dempsey, Lukhan Tui, Ned Hanigan and Pete Samu competing for the blindside flanker’s position, pressure will mount on Hooper to hold his starting spot if the Wallabies’ poor lineout leads to defeats.