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Waugh`s jersey under threat?

Thursday 02nd October 2008

Waugh: Prepared to fight for his jersey

Wallaby flanker Phil Waugh faces some stiff competition for his green and gold jersey ahead of Australia's end-of-year tour which kicks off against the All Blacks in Hong Kong.

The Waratahs skipper, who captained Australia last year, is in danger of being overlooked for a place in the Wallabies' matchday 22 for the first time since injury wrecked his 2002 season.

Up and coming young flanker David Pocock was selected by coach Robbie Deans for the Wallabies' touring squad to Europe on the back of rave reviews during his Super 14 apprenticeship with the Western Force.

Deans' faith in Pocock for Tests against Italy, England, France and Wales as well as a match against the Barbarians, is seen as a future option for the number seven jersey heading towards the 2011 World Cup.

With Waugh's perennial selection rival George Smith making the openside position his own in 2008, to the extent the 29-year-old wasn't even called off the bench in the Tri-Nations loss to New Zealand last month, he appears to be at the crossroads.

But the 74-Test veteran won't go down without a fight.

"I'm absolutely up for any challenge," Waugh told AAP.

"It's not a matter of hanging on and trying to get the number seven jersey back, I want to be starting in it.

"I'm not battling to hang on to the number two (man at seven), I'm battling to get back to the number one.

"For my whole career I've been under enormous pressure, and the most is from myself."

Waugh enjoyed an impressive Super 14 season with the Waratahs, leading them to the final, and was seen to be level pegging with Smith but struggled for Test match consistency with little time for the Wallabies.

His only starts in the Tri-Nations coincided with thumping defeats - a 39-10 loss to New Zealand in Auckland and 53-8 to South Africa in Johannesburg.

After the eight-try drubbing by the Springboks, Deans dropped Waugh to the bench for the tournament decider in Brisbane.

While it was the first time in his international career he'd watched an entire Test from the bench, Waugh said he was more disappointed by the 28-24 loss to miss out on the Tri-Nations and Bledisloe Cup.

"That's the first time and the way it panned out on the night," he said.

"I was obviously disappointed with the opportunities I did get when I started, obviously a few disappointing results.

"Personally, there's still a lot of improvement (needed) because I haven't been happy with the way things turned out.

"So I guess it's important to go back to the drawing board and have faith in what you're doing and how you're preparing to be ready for when the opportunities come and perform well when they do."

But Waugh has nothing but praise for 20-year-old Pocock and, like his relationship with Smith and David Croft, is treating him as a partner in crime rather than rival.

"He's a nice guy, enthusiastic and is very excited to be here," he said.

"The three of us certainly won't be working against each other, we'll be working with each other to win six out six on the tour."