Michael Hooper: 'The fire in the belly hasn't been extinguished at all'
Michael Hooper may have endured one of the more deflating afternoons of his storied career with the luckless loss to Scotland at Murrayfield, but he’s adamant the fire in Wallabies’ bellies rages hotter as they march on to Twickenham.
Captain Australia had led from the front, as ever, but it wasn’t Hooper’s day as he saw what would have been the 23rd try of his international career controversially ruled out en route to an underwhelming 15-13 defeat.
Yet self-pity has never been in his playbook. As he and coach Dave Rennie sift through the casualty list from Monday morning’s (AEDT) ding-dong, Hooper was quick to sound the battle cry for the biggest examination of their tour against Eddie Jones’ England.
“The fire in the belly hasn’t been extinguished at all,” declared Hooper.
“I guess after that defeat, it’s just been raised.”
Naturally, he needs no reminding the Wallabies have lost seven straight times to England since a certain wily Australian coach took their reins. Hooper’s played in all seven!
Yet even while critics like former All Black-turned-pundit Andrew Mehrtens have been musing that an eighth-straight defeat could be an ugly one for Australia if they play as they did against Scotland, Hooper remains relentlessly positive.
“The record (against England) hasn’t been great, but a lot of these guys haven’t played up here (in the Northern Hemisphere), haven’t been part of those games, so they don’t feel that sort of stuff,” he said.
“It’s a new team, and it’s a great challenge for us next week to roll into England.
“That’s been a setback today. The motivation was about going really well and continuing the momentum we’ve built over the last year but we roll now to a six-day turnaround against the English.”
It’s not ideal, especially with England having had a further day to rest after their 11-try romp against outclassed Tonga while Rennie has big injury concerns over Jordan Petaia (hamstring) and Taniela Tupou, who’ll have to undergo concussion protocols.
Does the idea that Hooper’s side don’t carry any baggage or scars from those seven defeats to ‘Eddie’s England’ carry any weight?
Dave Rennie has defended his side against critics after going down to Scotland. #SCOvAUS https://t.co/0fank4kKbK
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) November 8, 2021
Certainly, there were things to be admired in what fullback Andrew Kellaway described not inaccurately as a “clunky” performance.
Like replacement Izaia Perese’s rumbustious performance that helped set up their only try from Rob Leota and the powerful second-row combination between Rory Arnold and Izack Rodda. Not to mention the indefatigable Hooper himself.
“The positive is that it was narrow and close (against Scotland). Discipline is what really kills us because it’s nobody’s fault but our own,” said Kellaway, whose first outing at 15 was also impressive.
“If we tidy up the breakdown, and that stuff, we’ll put ourselves in a position to win the England game hopefully.”
And they will continue to take their lead from a man whose fire never goes out.
Hooper’s impassioned debate with referee Romain Poite following the game’s key moment, demonstrated exactly that.
The charming French official, in his last test after 15 years of having his ear bent, had ruled out Hooper’s first-half try and instead binned Allan Alaalatoa for a dangerous clear-out, prompting the captain to implore: “You’re the ref … he didn’t do anything!”
Poite invited Hooper to come and talk to him about it after the match. Presumably, it’s a lot easier once you’ve retired!
Comments on RugbyPass
Ben Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
19 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
7 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
19 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
9 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
9 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
26 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
19 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
26 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
19 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
86 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
2 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
9 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
19 Go to comments9 Brumbies! What a joke! The best performing team in Oz! Ditch Skelton for Swain or Neville. Ryan Lonergan ahead of McDermott any day! Best selection bolter is Toole … amazing player
14 Go to comments