'I'm looking forward to that challenge': Quade Cooper learning from his past
Quade Cooper is confronting his demons head on as he prepares to tackle Argentina for the first time since suffering a devastating leg injury.
It was during the second half of the Wallabies’ famous 41-26 comeback win over the Pumas 11 months ago that Cooper ruptured an Achilles tendon, leaving the influential playmaker racing the clock to be fit for the 2023 Rugby World Cup.
Cooper made his Wallabies return in last Saturday’s forgettable 43-12 loss to the Springboks in the opening match of the Rugby Championship in Pretoria.
Starved of the ball and opportunities behind a well beaten Australian forward pack, Cooper had been the man for the Wallabies before that pounding on the South African highveld.
After replacing Noah Lolesio as Wallabies five-eighth in 2021 under former coach Dave Rennie, Cooper sparked Australia’s first five-match winning streak since making the 2015 World Cup final.
It was perhaps no coincidence both Cooper and strike centre Samu Kerevi then missed the Wallabies’ 2021 spring tour of Europe while committed to Japanese clubs as Australia’s winning run ended with a hat-trick of defeats to Scotland, England and Wales.
Cooper also missed the ensuing series loss to Eddie Jones’ touring England side last year with a calf injury before returning to help the Wallabies recover from 26-17 down late to deny the Pumas in Mendoza.
No wonder why Jones turned to the 35-year-old as starting No.10 last week for his first Test of the year since replacing Rennie in January.
Now Cooper is eager to repay Jones for his faith if given another opportunity against Argentina in Sydney on Saturday.
The veteran insists he won’t be holding back, like he might have earlier in his career.
“Technically, it’s (only) my third game of footy so I’m excited to have the opportunity to get back out there,” Cooper said on Wednesday when asked if he was ahead or behind where he hoped to be in his comeback.
“I’ve been on the field so if I’m on the field I’m where I need to be. In terms of it being the corresponding game (from last year’s injury), I’m looking forward to that challenge.
“It’s similar to the first time I ran again. My first running session I grabbed the boots that I hurt my Achilles in and put them straight back on.
“In the past, I may have thrown the boots out when I got injured rather than thinking ‘hey, the boots, game and team are irrelevant, it’s the work that you’ve done and do each day to put you in the position to perform.'”
Jones will name his side to face the Pumas on Thursday with Kerevi expected to replace Reece Hodge at inside centre and finally reunite with Cooper in a massive midfield boost for the Wallabies.
Prop Taniela Tupou will also make his comeback from an Achilles tendon rupture for Australia A against Tonga on Friday, in a side that also includes Wallabies veterans James O’Connor and Bernard Foley.
Comments on RugbyPass
The Harlequins team must be in minus figures. Did the reporter actually watch the game?
2 Go to commentsHow on earth did Walker escape a red card? Not dangerous? Dupont has his face in a mask earlier this season. Shocking decision. What is the point of TMOs? We had the Fassi ‘non-penalty try’ yesterday and now this.
2 Go to commentsCould have been a different result but yet again French tv able to affect the result by not showing the very clear high shot on harlequin centre if this would have been on a French player would have been on screen at least five times
2 Go to commentsAmazing. The losing team’s ratings are higher than the winning team’s. Mallia definitely didn’t deserve a y. What game were you watching? Should have got a w or an x. ADP hardly featured in that second half. At one point I wondered when he’d been subbed. Seems to me as if he gets an automatic 9 just for getting onto the team sheet.
2 Go to commentsI’m sorry. That second half was far from enthralling. It was painful to watch.
2 Go to commentsVery generous! If you’d missed the game, reading this you’d conclude that it was the Quins front row that cost them the game. Marler getting a blanket 6 for his demented contribution to the game. Puzzling.
2 Go to commentsCan’t see Toulouse beating Leinster at this rate.
7 Go to commentsADP was having a very average game until winning that penalty for Toulouse, sticking his big head in the way. “The head of God”?
7 Go to commentsHarlequins doing their best to do as little damage as possible with all the possession. Looks like they skipped catch and pass drills this week.
7 Go to commentsSeeing pictures of Jacques high-fiving it with Irish players breaks my heart. Too soon. I need more time.
1 Go to commentsquins is all over the place. The minute they get the ball they panic. Quins can still win tho just need to win all rucks otherwise just don't bother.
7 Go to commentsGreat wins for the male & female kiwi sides. Ireland not far away..
1 Go to commentsWhy is this dude getting so much coverage? Usually knobs like this get cancelled.
2 Go to commentsWow. What was that? A 3 million word meandering article about what exactly?
2 Go to commentsNice piece of writing. And yes the Sharks pulled a rabbit from the hat and were a little lucky with that penalty try that wasn’t given… however the Sharks (with their resources) should be way more consistent and should be putting teams like Claremont away for breakfast. I expect more from them and hope they kick on now.
8 Go to commentsJust what the Sharks needed to get things going in the right direction Defence on the outside really creates havoc for the whole team and needs to be addressed.
8 Go to commentsWell done guys both teams will be ready to play knockout rugby.
1 Go to commentsSurprised that Ramos isn't starting at 15. But what a squad of galacticos!
2 Go to commentsWhy is it a snub? What journalistic garbage is that? Sure the guy is a great player, but there are plenty of loose forwards and not all of them can be Springboks. Also, I know of no-one who doubts Rassie’s judgment. South Africa has a conveyor belt of loose forwards that just keeps producing, so the competition is intense. I certainly wish him well, but there is no entitlement and there is no snub.
17 Go to commentsSkelton may be brought back for the Wallabies so that would be the only reason that may hinder Wilson. Easily the form, most skilful and game IQ of any Oz 8. Valentini’s best and favourite position is 6, but lineouts may be an issue with Skelton, Valentini and Wilson. Will be interesting what Schmidt goes for but for me Wilson should be picked on form. Schmidt rewards work rate, skill and consistency. All that glitters every so often won’t be in contention. Greely is one of those players that has a knack of making the right decision. A coach is going to love him because he knows week in week out he’s going to get the job done. The second try Greely wasn’t the guy who made the initial break it was Flook, Greely was at the bottom of the ruck when Flook was off along the sideline. Greely got up and made the effort to catch up with play but also read the play nicely and hit the pass from Campbell at pace and then held the pass beautifully to Ryan.
6 Go to comments