'I’ve got to be ready': Axed Wallaby reveals one ‘regret’ after World Cup snub
When the Wallabies revealed their World Cup squad last month, the rugby world stood still. Coach Eddie Jones had swung the axe and made a series of bold selection calls that nobody saw coming.
Playmaker Quade Cooper and talented centre Len Ikitau were among the big-name omissions, but the absence of former Australian skipper Michael Hooper was simply staggering.
In the early hours of Thursday, August 10, the Australian rugby public was sent into a frenzy as reports of Hooper’s axing began to break online. That night, it was made official by the Wallabies.
Five loose forwards were picked in the Wallabies’ 33-man squad, and Hooper wasn’t one of them. Coach Jones had dropped a bombshell mere weeks out from the World Cup.
Hooper picked up a “minor strain” to his calf while on international duty with the Wallabies in South Africa, and ended up missing the rest of The Rugby Championship.
That may have sealed his fate – but Hooper hasn’t given up hope completely. The former Wallaby will only have one “regret” after being dropped, and that’s “not being ready” if coach Jones needs him.
“Yeah, look, I mean, it’s probably of bit of everything, right? The tough thing was the re-injury and ‘how long is this thing?’ Calves have a bit of a notorious nature about them,” Hooper told Wide World of Sports.
“There was a bit of ambiguity there. It wasn’t as clean, probably, as some injuries are. Usually with an injury, you can push through the pain a bit. What I learned from this is this is not a type of push-through pain situation.
“This needs to be right for it to take the load and the load really increases when you run. The calf was a bit fiddly in terms of how that all came out.
“Look, the timing didn’t work out and the situation wasn’t right, so that’s right. I’ve been on the right side of it for so long and I wasn’t on the right of it this time.
“So in terms of timing, in terms of selection, all those things – my only regret will be not being ready if I’m called upon. So, I’m pretty much there now.”
Hooper features on the front cover of the World Cup’s official guide along with Ardie Savea, Siya Kolisi, Maro Itoje and Johnny Sexton.
It seemed, up until the morning of August 10, that Hooper was practically a certainty to go to France. But coach Jones has a plan, and at least at this stage, it doesn’t involve the veteran flanker.
“You never know what can happen,” Hooper added.
“I’m not needing real certainty around it. It’s just I’ve got to be ready if I’m called up.”
The Wallabies are winless under coach Jones this year. Australia were beaten by South Africa, Argentina and twice by New Zealand before naming their squad for rugby’s showpiece event.
Coach Jones named an inexperienced group across the board, with the Wallabies picking the youngest squad out of any nation at this year’s World Cup.
With Fraser McReight in the No.7 jersey – not Hooper – the Wallabies had their final hit out before the World Cup against hosts France in Paris almost two weeks ago.
Playing in front of a surreal crowd at Stade de France, the Wallabies showed plenty of fight but ultimately came up short – well short, in the end. They were beaten by Les Bleus 41-17.
“I didn’t get up and watch it live. I had an early start anyway with the kids up early so I knew that I could catch it and digest it properly later in the day.
“It looked amazing there. The French stadium, it was going off. It would have been a cool game to be a part of but great for our guys to get a look at a serious crowd and atmosphere and what’s going to be coming in the next two weeks.
“In terms of that, you couldn’t ask anything more from a Test match. Hopefully, we can lift up the performance rating from there, but certainly a nice hit out to have.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Yes, Fiji can win the World Cup! With that belief plus their christian faith🙏 and hard work it is achievable. Great article. Ian Duncan Fiji resident 1981-84
2 Go to commentsInteresting comments about Touch. England’s hosting the Touch World Cup this year and the numbers have exploded since their last World Cup in 2019, something like 70% more teams and 40 nations taking part. And England Touch have made a big thing about how many universities are in their BUCS University Touch Championship as well as Sport England membership. Can only see this growing even more domestically as more people become aware of it
10 Go to comments“Cortez Ratima is light years ahead of anyone on current form, while TJ Perenara has also skyrocketed into contention following the unfortunate injury to the talented Cam Roigard.” At last some sanity. Hitherto so many pundits have been wittering on about Finlay Christie to the point one wondered if they were observing a FC in a parallel universe where the FC they saw wasnt just the mediocre Shayne Philpott project of Fosters hapless AB reign in the real world. Ratima, Perenara and Fakatava are the ONLY logical 9s for Razor now Roigard is crocked.
2 Go to commentsThis game was just as painful as the Hurricanes game. It was real fork-in-the-eye stuff.
2 Go to commentsNow if they could just fire the Crusaders ground PA guy who likes to play his dance music and just loves the sound of his own voice the entire game, even when play is going on. And I thought their brass band thing of a few years ago was bad.
5 Go to commentsUnfortunately when you lose by far the two form players this season in Roigard and Aumua, you're left replacing two game changing Tanks with a couple of pea-shooters. Which is also about the speed of TJs pass.
2 Go to commentsBit rich coming from the guy with zero loyalty to anyone or any team, including happily taking a players place in a league world cup squad because well, SBW wanted to play in it and thus an already named player got told he was no longer going. And airing stuff like this, which may or may not be true, doesn't exactly say you're a stand up guy either SBW. Just looking to keep his name in lights as usual.
38 Go to commentsTamati Tua. …the Taniwha NPC midfielder. Ollie Sapsford, Hawkes Bay NPC midfielder…doing well
2 Go to commentsFiji deserve to be in the rugby championship, fans love seeing the Fijian national team play, the Fijian Drua is a wonderful idea but the players can still be stolen to play for NZ and AUS…
2 Go to commentsThe first concern for this afternoon are wheather forecast…
1 Go to commentsWhy cant I watch Rugby games please?
1 Go to commentsBeautiful shot from Finau, end of story. Gutted for Shaun Stevenson though.
4 Go to commentsThe Chiefs definitely didn’t win ugly. They had the superior scrum, a dominant lineout, and their defence was excellent once the Waratahs scored their two tries (thanks to some lucky refereeing calls mind you). They put pressure on the Waratahs lineout throughout the game, and the mind boggles as to why the referee did not award a yellow card or a penalty try against the Waratahs for repeated scrum infringements on their own try line before Narawa’s first try. And the Chiefs were slick with their passing and running angles on attack. It was a dominant performance all round, even with many questionable refereeing decisions.
1 Go to commentsWasnt late. Ref 2 assistants andTMO all saw it so who are you to say it was?
4 Go to commentsAre the Brumbies playing the Blues twice in a row?
4 Go to commentsBig difference from the Saders. Forwards really muscled up and laid a solid platform. Scooter brought some steel and I liked the loosie combination. Newell has been rather disappointing this season but stepped up big time - happy also to see Franks dot down. He should do that more often! Reihana had a good game and there seems to be more flair and invention with him in the saddle. McNicoll plays well from the back and is reliable plus inventive when he joins the line. Keep it up chaps!
5 Go to comments🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
34 Go to commentsJe suis sûr que Farrell est impatient de jouer avec Lopez et Machenaud et d’être entraîné par Collazo… 🤭
1 Go to commentsAn on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
11 Go to commentsEver so often you all post a Danny Care story that isn’t the announcement that he has finally re-signed for one more, victory tour season at Quins and I’m just like, “well you fooled me again!” My absolute favorite player ever, we need to make his final year at the Stoop (and Twickers) official already. I know he supposedly snubbed France but I won’t feel better until he signs.
1 Go to comments