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Brumbies to sidestep Pocock saga

Pocock, earlier this week, confirmed that reports of him wanting a sabbatical to study in the United Kingdom is true.

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The 27-year-old is considering the option of spending 2017 studying at an  Oxbridge university, before returning to Australia to prepare for the 2019 World Cup.

While there is escalating unhappiness that the facts were leaked to the media, his teammates are supporting his decision.

Brumbies captain Stephen Moore said Pocock's on-field form will not be affected, even if his contract negotiations extend throughout the opening stages of the Super Rugby season.

Pocock was forced to address his teammates when the news broke in the media.

Coach Stephen Larkham said the sabbatical is just one of the options on the table, as clubs around the globe court one of the best players in the game.

The Brumbies had hoped for a resolution before the start of the Super Rugby season in a fortnight, but there appears to be little reason for Pocock to rush one of the biggest contractual calls of his professional career.

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Larkham said on Friday in Brisbane, after the  Brumbies scored a comfortable 31-18 over the Reds in their pre-season showdown at Ballymore, that he hoped to have something concrete "in the next month or so".

He added that the ball was in the court of Pocock and his manager.

"It was disappointing that it came out the way it came out," Larkham told the Australian media.

"Poey and his manager wanted to keep it quiet and tell the right people before it came out. It was disappointing for him and us as well.

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"He did [address the players]. But it wasn't great, the news had already broken a little bit. He basically said he hadn't made a decision and apologised for the way that information came out without telling the boys he was considering all of those options."

Moore went through a series of recent contract negotiations of his own before electing to join the Reds from next season.

He didn't seem convinced that Pocock would be sprinting towards a decision by the opening round, but said it mattered little.

"He's very mentally tough," Moore said.

"He's dealing with all of that stuff. As a teammate, he hasn't imposed it on us and it hasn't been a distraction at all.

"I can imagine there are plenty of guys in his ear and giving him advice. You'd expect that but he's handled it really well. It won't affect his play at all.

"These days you get used to that stuff. It's commonplace. Contract negotiations are part of what we do. I went through it recently. You'd love to have it all squared away before you play but that's not always the case."

Larkham said he had spoken to Pocock one-on-one to get a "feel" for any potential decision he might make. He understands there are likely to be any number of offers landing on the table on the desk of his management firm, with the Reds obviously keen to lure him back to his home state.

Source: Sydney Morning Herald

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