It was once said Hooper and Pocock sounded like a harmless firm of provincial solicitors.
But it would never have worked in the legal profession because of their penchant for pilfering — pilfering opposition ball on a rugby pitch, that is.
Throughout his career David Pocock was one of the few back rowers to compete on pretty much equal terms with Richie McCaw, while alongside him Australia team-mate Michael Hooper never stopped working, a player adept at turning the ball over and pretty much every other aspect of the openside’s art.
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Some felt the two sevens by preference didn’t always work well together. But anyone who saw the pair dominate England at the breakdown in the 2015 World Cup will surely have a different opinion. Then, the duo were key as the Wallabies helped themselves to nine possession steals en route to a 33-13 victory.
Wales used two opensides with notable success against England in 2013 when Justin Tipuric and Sam Warbuton played prominent roles in the 30-3 success in Cardiff, but Warren Gatland never seemed totally sold on the idea.
Wayne Pivac has similarly opted mainly for specialists in the back-row throughout his 30-Test reign, and the way Dan Lydiate, Tommy Reffell and Taulupe Faletau performed in South Africa this summer means he will be in no hurry to embrace a different mindset.
But the Ospreys could go there this season, and give Pivac food for thought ahead of the World Cup, with Justin Tipuric fit after a year out because of injury and Jac Morgan looking to build on an excellent first campaign with the region. You can read more about the return of 'the man in the blue hat' here.
Would it work with him and Tipuric combining forces in the same back row? Former Ospreys, Wales and Lions wing Shane Williams believes it would.
“I think they could play well together,” says Williams. “They are not the biggest of players but they are physical and aggressive and can turn ball over together. We’ve seen it with the likes of Pocock and Hooper teaming up for Australia and it’s worked. Why not Justin Tipuric and Jac Morgan for the Ospreys?
“I would love to see those two on the field. It was great to see Tipuric coming through his comeback game at the Brewery Field against Northampton unscathed. He looked fit and like a different player with his new hairstyle. He looked like he was an 18-year-old boy coming through trying to prove his worth to get in the Ospreys team.
"That is Tipuric. He’s a quality player, a captain who leads by example and a very humble person. The whole of the Ospreys will heave a sigh of relief he’s fit and ready to go again. He’s class and one of the best players I’ve played with and trained alongside.
“And I’m excited to see how Morgan develops. He’s been in and out of the Wales set-up and is someone who’ll be looking for a big season. I know him and he has a brilliant attitude. He works tirelessly and is always willing to learn.
“That said, it’s a long season and Ospreys head coach Toby Booth has a lot of other options in the back row. There’s Morgan Morris, for instance, who was fantastic last term, while Dan Lydiate reminded us what he could do with his displays for Wales in South Africa, and Ethan Roots and Will Griffiths offer a lot as well.
“You can never have enough good players in the back row because it’s an area where players are injured so often.”
Rarely has a truer word been said about the potential for back-row casualties. It can be a hugely attritional area with one month’s strength in depth morphing into the next month’s area of deep concern amid injuries and international calls.
Booth and his first-team coach Duncan Jones will know as much, of course, as they plot their way through the season.
How will the campaign pan out generally for the Welsh sides in the United Rugby Championship? An optimist will feel things can only get better for Cardiff and the Dragons after last term’s disappointments, while the Ospreys and the Scarlets will want to kick on as well after missing out on the top eight last term and so failing to make the playoffs.
Cardiff have brought in some excellent players in Lopeti Timani, Liam Williams, Taulupe Faletau and Thomas Young, while the Dragons have also been busy in the recruitment stakes with Sio Tomkinson, Rob Evans, Rhodri Jones, Bradley Roberts and JJ Hanrahan among their acquisitions.
Vaea Fifita could prove a game-changing newcomer for the Scarlets, while the Ospreys will hope fly-half Jack Walsh can help to sharpen their attack.
Williams believes the Dragons should be a tougher nut to crack but reckons the other three Welsh sides will be the ones challenging for United Rugby Championship playoff places.
“The Dragons have Ashton Hewitt available again after his injury and have brought in a lot of players, some of them really good ones, but they are coming from a long way back and it may be a big ask for them to challenge for a top-eight finish this season,” he says. “That said, I hope I’m proved wrong.
“But you look at the others and, potentially, there’s three international teams there who should be competing. I’m expecting big things from all of them, to be honest.
“Cardiff have added quality in Liam Williams, Taulupe Faletau, Lopeti Timani and Thomas Young. Timani could prove a great signing. Like Fifita, he’s a class player who can play at lock and in the back row. Players who can adapt like those two are gold dust because they help selection, and particularly in the event of injuries.
“Cardiff need a solid foundation in the front row but Dai Young will know that and he’ll try to work on it. What they’ve lacked over the past couple of years is leadership and grit when things are not going well. There have been games when they have looked like a team who’ve just given up 60-odd minutes into games and they’re a couple of tries down. That wasn’t characteristic of Cardiff teams when I played against them. They had the likes of Xavier Rush, Martyn Williams, Gethin Jenkins and Mike Phillips in their side then, players who would fight to the end. They need to get back to that because they definitely have the quality within the camp.
“My guess is the Ospreys, with all their experience, could finish highest of the Welsh sides, but there won’t be a lot in it.
“Dwayne Peel will want to play a quick game while knowing the Scarlets may find it tough to outmuscle certain teams, especially the South Africans. Dwayne has a lot of skilful players to work with and when they put it together the Scarlets can be dangerous.”
Williams continues: “Who’ll be the teams to beat? No one’s going to write off Leinster, and you look at Ulster and Munster and they are also strong. Leinster will be there or thereabouts, of course they will, as arguably the most successful European team of the past 10 years. Then you have the South African sides. They are physical, have pace and are very hard to beat, particularly out there.”
Williams feels the addition of the Bulls, Stormers, Sharks and Lions means the United Rugby Championship is now up there in terms of quality with the Gallagher Premiership.
“I do enjoy watching the English league,” he says. "It’s exciting and has some good rugby. But the URC had a lot of quality last season. The South Africans have brought something different and freshened things up. They are very good and Leinster could go into the Gallagher Premiership and win the title."
Shane Williams is part of Premier Sports team providing expert knowledge on every single BKT United Rugby Championship game - that's 151 fixtures - throughout the season. Premier Sports will show live and exclusive UK coverage of Scarlets against Ospreys from Parc y Scarlets on Premier Sports 1 from 4.45pm this Saturday 17th September. Tune-in for all the build-up from West Wales as this huge Welsh derby opens the new rugby season in the West. All seven URC games this weekend will be live on Premier Sports, including Cardiff's opener against Munster and the Dragons' away trip to Edinburgh.
To find out more visit www.premiersports.com to enjoy every URC game plus action from France’s TOP14.
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