Wales’ Sam Warburton draws on inspiration from friend Gareth Bale
Flanker Sam Warburton has said that former school-mate Gareth Bale’s meteoric rise with Tottenham Hotspur will be the inspiration he draws on, for the Test match with Australia on Saturday 6 November.
Warburton faces the daunting task of stopping one of the world’s best flankers in David Pocock at the Millennium Stadium this weekend.
The player was a surprise selection by Gatland as veteran Martyn Williams was expected to start.
Now, the forward hopes to grab his chance and believes that the new look back-row with Jonathan Thomas and Dan Lydiate is not as inexperienced as people think.
“We're not too young to play international rugby while on an international scale we're not that experienced. In general, we're not as rookie as some people may think," he said to the press.
Warburton will hope to follow in his friend footsteps and receive the glowing praises that Bale has been given following his performances for Spurs against Inter Milan in the Champions League.
"It gives me great confidence to see him doing well, another Whitchurch boy on the world scene taking them all on," said Warburton.
Warburton could achieve similar accolades if he can come out on top of his personal duel with Pocock.
The 22-year-old Australian has already established himself as a world class player and he is tipped to go down in history as one of the finest back-row forwards to play rugby.
"Pocock is a great player and is one of their key men. He is obviously a player to watch. I am going to have to try to make him be as least effective as possible, but I don't think you can to stop him
altogether as he is so effective,” said Warburton.
However, the forward admitted that it was up to the team as a defensive unit to stop the Australian.
“When he is around the contact area, we all, as a team, must get rid of him as he is such a danger," said Warburton.
Welsh coach Warren Gatland has already warned his side about Pocock ahead of the game and Warburton hopes to emulate Bale by making the headlines in Wales for stopping the Australian.
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