‘PANDA’ INVITES SIR DAVID TO FINAL
HE IS acclaimed as king of the jackals, but yesterday a black-eyed David Pocock was likened to a panda and invited Sir David Attenborough to the World Cup final. Australia’s master poacher wore two prominent marks of battle from his latest supreme display in the Wallabies’ semi-final victory over Argentina. After the game, Pocock retired to his hotel room to watch nature programmes, which led to a surprise offer. ‘I’m a big fan of wildlife documentaries, particularly David Attenborough. He’s a big hero of mine,’ he said. ‘On Sunday, I put on a couple of Attenborough episodes and put my feet up. I was re-watching his Africa series. If he wants to come to the final I’m sure we could organise some tickets. He’s a legend.’ Pocock, the openside who is operating at No 8 in this tournament, insisted that, despite the facial evidence, he will be fighting fit to lock horns with All Blacks captain Richie McCaw at Twickenham on Saturday. ‘I just got a bit of a bump on the nose, it probably looks worse than it is,’ said the 27-year-old. ‘It was a bit sore at the time but it’s fine now. It’s getting towards the end of the season so your body is used to recovering.’ Animal conservation is one of Pocock’s many interests outside of rugby and he saw the funny side when a Kiwi voice asked whether the panda was now one of the endangered species that he would be keen to save. ‘I don’t know heaps about the panda,’ he said, laughing. ‘I’m just trying to avoid snoring at the moment!’ Wallabies coach Michael Cheika said earlier this week his team was made up of ‘lovers, fighters and jokers’, and Pocock added: ‘I like to consider myself more a lover than a fighter. A bit of a knock on the nose can change that, but I think it’s relatively straight.’ Pocock’s family emigrated from Zimbabwe to Brisbane in his early teens to escape the turmoil in the African country. Saturday’s final will be the culmination of a dream which began 20 years ago when the young boy — a Springboks fan at that stage — watched South Africa beat New Zealand to win the Webb Ellis Cup. ‘I think of that 1995 final,’ said Pocock. ‘As a kid, that did something to me and I dreamt of playing in the World Cup. I was watching on my grandfather’s farm in the low veld in Zimbabwe. ‘I just remember how tense it was and then that drop goal. During half-time I was skateboarding up and down the ramp, using up energy, then I came in and had a watch. It was pretty special.’