Injured Wallabies flanker David Pocock will consider sitting out the spring tour to focus on being fit for the Super Rugby season and ensure he avoids an ongoing battle with his knee injury.
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The ACT Brumbies recruit has been working in the gym for the past month while the medial ligament in his right knee recovers after suffering a grade-two strain in August.
The star No.7 is unsure of a return date and said the ''very best case scenario'' would be playing the last two games of the Wallabies' end-of-season trip to Europe.
Even then he said that may be too soon for a comeback and admitted he would consider continuing his rehabilitation in Canberra to avoid jeopardising his first campaign with the Brumbies.
''[The knee] is improving, now it's just about pushing it every week and seeing how it reacts,'' Pocock said.
''The very best case scenario would be playing towards the end of the spring tour, but that's maybe not that realistic. [Staying here] to get fit is definitely part of the thinking, you never want to come back too early.
''I want to make sure if I do come back and play I'm ready to go.
''We've seen James O'Connor with his hamstring and that's been 20 weeks or so, I want to make sure [the knee] is all right.''
The Wallabies will play their final domestic Test of the year when they attempt to topple the world champion All Blacks in Brisbane on Saturday night.
The spring tour begins with a match against France next month with games against England, Italy and Wales to follow.
Wallabies coach Robbie Deans named his team yesterday for the third Bledisloe Cup match, with Wycliff Palu and Adam Ashley-Cooper returning to the line-up.
However, the Wallabies' injury woes continued when Saia Faingaa broke his hand at training yesterday.
Pocock has been training with fellow injured international Stephen Moore. The hooker still hopes to be fit to join the spring tour despite his hamstring problem limiting his influence on the Rugby Championship. The veteran was poised to become the most capped rake in Wallabies history before his hamstring strain sent him to the rehabilitation group. The Wallabies struggled through the Rugby Championship, but got a morale-boosting win in Argentina two weeks ago and Moore is confident the team can beat the All Blacks to end New Zealand's dominance.
''New Zealand is a good side, we've been close enough but we just haven't been good enough to win the two games we've played,'' Moore said. ''Every team is beatable … We've got a good record [at Suncorp Stadium], we've just got to have the belief we can win.''
Wallabies team to play All Blacks:
Mike Harris, Nick Cummins, Ben Tapuai, Pat McCabe, Adam Ashley-Cooper, Kurtley Beale, Nick Phipps, Wycliff Palu, Michael Hooper, Scott Higginbotham, Nathan Sharpe (capt), Sitaleki Timani, Ben Alexander, Tatafu Polota-Nau, Benn Robinson. Reserves: James Hanson, James Slipper, Kane Douglas, Dave Dennis, Liam Gill, Brett Sheehan, Drew Mitchell.