Rugby: Pocock back for Brumbies from pine

Brumbies loosie David Pocock will return from injury via the bench. Photo / Getty Images

The long-awaited David Pocock v Michael Hooper battle is on, although it will have to wait until the Brumbies star is eased into the Super Rugby blockbuster from the bench.

The Brumbies play the Waratahs on Sunday at Allianz Stadium in Sydney with an unchanged starting side for the fourth straight week.

Pocock is the only change made to the Brumbies' 23-man squad, and will take a place on the bench at the expense of Blake Enever.

Pocock has been out of action since injuring his ankle in round one against the Reds, where he impressed in his comeback from a second knee reconstruction with a man-of-the-match performance.

His return to the park this weekend will see him battle his successor in the Wallabies No7 jersey, Hooper.

It's their first clash since Pocock suffered his first ruptured ACL against the Waratahs in 2013.

Brumbies head coach Stephen Larkham earlier in the week hinted that Pocock would be eased back into Super Rugby from the pine when he praised the work current backrowers Ita Vaea, Jarrad Butler and Scott Fardy were doing in his absence.

"It is [a selection dilemma]," Larkham said.

"Certainly Poey adds that other element.

"A backrower who gets hard on the ball. It will be a slightly different look to our backrow when Poey gets on the field.

"But I look at the performances of our backrow, particularly on the weekend with Jarrad Butler, Ita Vaea and Scott Fardy all had fantastic games."

Brumbies captain Stephen Moore said the luxury of having named another unchanged side would help them against the Waratahs.

"It certainly helps having consistency through the group week in, week out," he said.

"Bringing David off the bench is exciting not only for him but for the rest of the boys, we all enjoy playing with him."

- AAP