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‘Wasn’t a great role model’: Eddie Jones’ shocking reason for axing Michael Hooper
Just a few weeks on from the Wallabies’ disastrous pool stage exit at the Rugby World Cup, coach Eddie Jones has explained the shock omission of Michael Hooper.
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In what will come as a surprise to many, Jones said the former captain “wasn’t a great role model” for the new-look team.
Jones, 63, made the stunning revelation in an interview with former Wallaby Peter FitzSimons when asked about the omitted trio of Hooper, veteran Quade Cooper and playmaker Bernard Foley.
While Foley hasn’t been involved with the Wallabies since last year, both Hooper and Cooper were initially seen as key members of Jones’ Wallabies – both started the first Test of the year in South Africa.
But that was the only Test that Hooper – who was named as the Wallabies’ co-captain along with James Slipper before The Rugby Championship – played under Jones. An injury brought a surprise end to the flanker’s international career.
When Australia’s World Cup squad was announced on August 10, Hooper was sensationally overlooked. Quade Cooper was also left out as Jones favoured rising star Carter Gordon as the only player listed as a flyhalf.
The youth experiment at Rugby World Cup 2023 backfired for Jones and the Wallabies. 22-year-old Gordon struggled, and the team clearly missed Hooper’s invaluable experience.
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But coach Jones stands by the decision. Jones didn’t believe the unfavoured trio of Hooper, Cooper and Foley were “obsessed” enough to don Wallaby gold in France.
“The situation reminded me of when Wayne Bannett let Wally Lewis go. No one could quite understand why, but Wally Lewis wasn’t a great role model for the rest of the team,” Jones told The Sydney Morning Herald.
Knockout
11 - 12
Final
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SF1
15 - 16
SF2
17 - 29
QF1
24 - 28
QF2
30 - 24
QF3
28 - 29
QF4
“And for those guys, I don’t think they were the right role models for the team going forward. Don’t get me wrong. They’re not bad guys.
“But you need guys – particularly when you’ve got a team like Australia has at the moment – you need guys who are obsessed with winning, obsessed with being good, and those three are past those stages.”
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Michael Hooper is widely considered to be one of the greatest players in Wallabies history, and when you consider the veteran’s Test CV, it’s hard to argue with that point.
Hooper captained Australia at just 23 years old and went on to become the most experienced skipper in the history of Australian rugby.
“I don’t think they were the right role models”. https://t.co/iGZsFEz3Vl pic.twitter.com/Zwb0hBiE1E
— Tom Decent (@tomdecent) October 27, 2023
Hooper also won the prestigious John Eals Medal – the award that recognises Australia’s best rugby union player – a record four times. While it seems unjust to label the former flanker a poor role model, coach Jones doubled down.
“I stand by it, 100 per cent,” Jones added. “He is a great guy but the timing is not right for him.”
In an interesting twist, Jones will coach 125-Test veteran Hooper when the Barbarians take on Wales next weekend.
Hooper will run out in the famous black and white strip alongside Wales legend Alun-Wyn Jones and 2019 World Cup-winning Springbok Duane Vermeulen.
The Sydney Morning Herald also revealed on Friday that coach Jones has “taken the first steps” towards quitting as Wallabies head coach.
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*They used to say that football is a gentleman sport watched by hooligans and rugby is a hooligan sport watched by gentlemen. How times have changed.*
3 Go to commentsexcept ot wasnt late wasnt late at all so dont know why you all saying its late he commits early and its your fault fir not paying attention
29 Go to commentsNot sure the Bulls need another average utility back in their ranks. Chamberlain has been ok for the Sharks but is by no means an X-Factor player. Bulls bought several utility backs which they barely use. A typical example would be Henry Immelman who plays mostly Fullback. The Bulls however have rarely played him this year and he has played wing or centre. Bulls want to build depth but seems like they have too many surplus players
1 Go to commentsABs lost against a side playing without a hooker - The guy playing, had one shoulder. Line outs were a gimme for the ABs, and the last 8 minutes 14 played 14 against a team that had been smashed 3 weeks in a row… Yet with all that possession, with all that territory, with all the advantages they actually had, especially in the last 8 minutes, they couldn’t buy a point. Those last 8 minutes determined if they outplayed the Boks or not. History will show that the Boks completely outplayed the ABs, especially in those last 8 minutes, the business end of any rugby match
226 Go to commentsWould’ve, could’ve, should’ve, didn’t.
226 Go to commentsKok will become a fan favourite
1 Go to commentsI am really looking forward to Leigh Halfpenny playing his first Super rugby game for the Crusaders Playing a long side his former Welsh and Scarlets team mate Johnny McNicoll.Johnny has been playing great, back in a Crusaders jersey.The attack has strengthened big time. Also looking forward to David Havili at 10. David is a class act, it also allows Dallas McLeod to remain at 12. A good thing.
1 Go to commentsIf he had stopped insisting on playing in the backrow, instead of wing, where everyone told him he should, he would have been a Bok years ago….
11 Go to comments‘Salads don’t win scrums’ 😂 I love that.
19 Go to commentsCan’t wait for the article that talks about misogyny in Ireland. Somehow.
16 Go to commentsI would like to see a rule change, when the attacking team is held up over the try line, by allowing the defensive team to restart a goal line drop out releases the pressure for the defensive team, but what if the attacking team had to restart a tap 5m out from the defensive team it gives the attacking team to apply more pressure, there are endless options for the attacking side and it will keep the fans in suspence.
2 Go to commentsLess modern South African males predictably triggered.
16 Go to commentsMy heart is with Quins, but the head is convinced Toulouse have too much. Ntamack is back, his timing and wisdom has been missed.
1 Go to commentsWow, what a starting line up for the Sharks) Tasty up front,kremer vs Tshituka or venter …fiery ,,Lavannini ,,will he knobble etzebeth? Biggest game for belleau?
1 Go to commentsIt was rubbish to watch, Blues weren’t even present. Did what they had to do, nothing more. Should be better next week against canes.
1 Go to commentsI’ve just noticed that this match has an all-French refereeing team. Surely a game like this ought to have a neutral ref? Although looking at the BBC preview of the Saints game, Raynal is also down as reffing that - so there may be some confusion about who is reffing what.
1 Go to commentsIf Havili can play anywhere in the back line, why not first 5. #10.
11 Go to commentsThe dressing room had already left for their summer break before they ran out in Dublin that year, and that’s on the coach. Franco Smith has undoubtedly made progress, particularly their maul, developing squad players and increasing squad depth. And against a very tight budget too. That said they were too lightweight last year and got found out against both Toulon and Munster in consecutive games. Better this season so far but they’ve developed something of a slow start habit occasionally, most notably losing at home to Northampton who played them at their own game. Play offs will ultimately show whether there has been tangible progress on last year, or not…!
2 Go to commentsAustralian Rugby has been a disaster, by not incorporating learning from previous successful campaigns. QLD Reds 2011 - Waratahs 2014. Players, coaches and administrators appoint there representatives for scheduled meetings, organisation’s agreement’s assessments and correspondence. This why a unified Rugby Union under one entity works. Every Rugby nation has taken that path. Was most difficult in the Northern hemisphere with over 100 years of club rugby before the game become professional. Took a lot of humility for those unions to eventually work together.
7 Go to commentsThough Wilson’s sacking was pretty brutal, it wasn’t just down to that Leinster game; Glasgow had a lot of 2nd half collapses that season, in the URC and Europe, and only just scraped into the playoffs. Franco Smith has definitely been an improvement, some players are delivering far more than they did under Wilson.
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