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Gallagher Premiership

Tom Hooper casts Wallabies future in doubt with move to England

Tom Hooper of the Wallabies looks on after being defeated during The Rugby Championship match between Australia Wallabies and South Africa Springboks at Optus Stadium on August 17, 2024 in Perth, Australia. (Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images)
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Under fire Exeter Chiefs boss Rob Baxter is set to try and quell fan discontent by strengthening his squad for next season with the signing of the highly rated young Wallaby star Tom Hooper from the Brumbies.

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Baxter has come under renewed attack from a small section of the Chiefs fanbase following their 69-17 humbling at the hands of Top 14 pacesetters Bordeaux-Begles in the Investec Champions Cup at Sandy Park on Saturday.

The Chiefs are struggling all round this season. They have only won one game in 10 in the Gallagher Premiership and have also been defeated in all three of their games in Europe, conceding 172 points, the most of any team in the competition.

Fans are also unhappy at seeing a succession of big-name players leave the Devon-based club as they have struggled to come to terms with the financial impact of the COVID pandemic.

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But it would appear that they have turned the corner. RugbyPass reported last week that, following several cost-cutting measures, pre-tax losses were reduced by £4.1m in the year ending June 2024 from £ 4.5m the previous year.

The club have slashed £2.7m from their wage bill, meaning that they only made a pre-tax loss of £419,000 in the last financial year, and this will allow Baxter to throw off the financial shackles and be more robust in the transfer market.

His extensive shopping list includes at least one hooker, an outside centre, a tight head and a scrum-half with blindside Hooper who has won 10 Test caps set to be the first new arrival through the door.

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Hooper, who can also play openside and lock, will join veteran Wallaby Scott Sio, a former Brumbies team-mate at the Chiefs, in what is another blow to Wallabies boss Joe Schmidt.

Schmidt is still reeling from losing back-rower Langi Gleeson to Montpellier next season and has now got the news that Hooper, who played for Australia A against England A in a 38-17 defeat last November, is off as well.

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'Move Sua'ali'i to 15 - Rugby Australia cannot afford another unfulfilled talent'

Joseph-Aukuso Sua'ali'i has the skillset to dominate in the back three, but only if club and country are prepared to abandon the midfield experiment.

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Comments on RugbyPass

S
SP 14 minutes ago
The best uncapped Irish prospects pushing for summer tour places

Mack Hansen wasn't wrong about the media, the doommongers were writing off Farrell and his squad, when actually IRFU player policy post the Lions meant our best players had no club rugby in their legs at the start of the 6N, and funnily enough got better with every game they played after getting hammered by a French side that were match sharp by contrast…

11 Go to comments
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Eric Elwood 17 minutes ago
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“But we’ve got four games to go, all being well, and we’ll make the most of it”

Glasgow had three matches to go in the Champions League “all being well” before the Goliath of the North was downed by “underdogs” Toulon.



...

1 Go to comments
C
Chris929 35 minutes ago
'A really exciting option': WRU file PWR expression of interest

We are already seeing evidence the future of the red roses looks less good with the u20 and u18 losing regularly now-not just to france who thrashed us at u18 and u20 level(and have done past few years) but also to the celtic teams.There is no guarantee senior level red roses success will continue indefinitely. We need more playing opportunities for young english players in the PWR-expanding to more english teams like Bath and Newcastle,which should be the priority, would help with that. Yet the RFU in its wisdom seems keen to bring in a welsh team,an irish team and a scottish team- something that would only benefit our rivals not us. They would become defacto national teams playing in the PWR and would only help them grow and develop. We already helping most teams with their squads playing in PWR. But including teams from other countries would be taking it to another level. Focus on english expansion first-bath,newcastle -maybe a team in yorkshire or cornwall

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Hammer Head 1 hour ago
'South Africans just hate the Irish': McCloskey on growing 'beef' with Boks

There always are.

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Hammer Head 1 hour ago
'South Africans just hate the Irish': McCloskey on growing 'beef' with Boks

It’s mostly flames fanned on the fans behalf, to be fair.

29 Go to comments
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Hammer Head 1 hour ago
New NZR CEO addresses growing Super Rugby Pacific player exodus

That’s true too

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TT. 1 hour ago
'Move Sua'ali'i to 15 - Rugby Australia cannot afford another unfulfilled talent'

Agree on Wright, it will be hard to overlook him if he plays at the same level than last year !

Indeed, if Lonergan is not in the team - which I think is probably the best option if they plan to start Carter Gordon - they will definitely need a goalkicker.



...

12 Go to comments
B
BC1812 1 hour ago
'A really exciting option': WRU file PWR expression of interest

It’s all very well for the RFU to finance and develop overseas players in English teams, though I think it need so be scaled back, but enabling international Home Nations teams to play week in, week out is several steps too far and will be to the detriment of the Red Roses.

2 Go to comments
S
SB 1 hour ago
'Move Sua'ali'i to 15 - Rugby Australia cannot afford another unfulfilled talent'

Wright for sure if he can replicate his 2025 test form. Harvey looks like a great prospect though and his goal kicking could be something very valuable to the team, especially with Carter Gordon is in the team and Ryan Lonergan is not.

12 Go to comments
T
TT. 1 hour ago
'Move Sua'ali'i to 15 - Rugby Australia cannot afford another unfulfilled talent'

And who would pick at 15 ? Tom Wright ? Harvey ?

12 Go to comments
T
TT. 1 hour ago
'Move Sua'ali'i to 15 - Rugby Australia cannot afford another unfulfilled talent'

Due to the League’s influence in our opinion ? Too young to recall that sadly…

Aren’t Paisami and Flook leaving Australia this summer ? Crichton could be the solution to a lot of their problems indeed.



...

12 Go to comments
S
SB 1 hour ago
'Move Sua'ali'i to 15 - Rugby Australia cannot afford another unfulfilled talent'

Him and Marky Mark on the wings at the World Cup, aerial kicks galore. Not sure where that leaves Jorgensen though.

12 Go to comments
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unknown 2 hours ago
'Move Sua'ali'i to 15 - Rugby Australia cannot afford another unfulfilled talent'

JAS plays at 13 because the Wallabies already have loads of high quality back three players and basically only two other top quality centres (ikitau and Parisian) one of whom is abroad currently and one of whom is heading to Japan (I’ve heard) - so that’s the area of key lack of depth

12 Go to comments
N
NB 2 hours ago
'Move Sua'ali'i to 15 - Rugby Australia cannot afford another unfulfilled talent'

Aussie have always had a surfeit of good back three players, more so than centres, even in their best years around 2000-2003… I recall them trying to shoehorn Elton Flatley into 12 for the 2001 Lions series.

They have Paisami, Ikitua and Flook wto work with now, and poss Angus Crichton in future. So I’d ships to 14 or 15 now, with a view to a JAS-Marky-Jordo backfield for the RWC, and poss Lomax in the mix too.



...

12 Go to comments
N
NB 2 hours ago
'Move Sua'ali'i to 15 - Rugby Australia cannot afford another unfulfilled talent'

Let’s hope so. Hunter Paisami is having a good season at 12 for the Reds, Len Ikitau is top drawer and Josh Flook at a very smart 13, so there is some material to work with there…

12 Go to comments
N
NB 2 hours ago
'Move Sua'ali'i to 15 - Rugby Australia cannot afford another unfulfilled talent'

They might start him at 14 and then move him to FB once he gets the hang of the backfield pendulum….

12 Go to comments
S
Stephen11 2 hours ago
Scotland v France | Talking points as France set up Grand Slam decider with England

I agree, which is why I find it strange that they only refer to part of her heritage. Her mom is also half Cook islander so why not mention that as well?

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SB 2 hours ago
'Move Sua'ali'i to 15 - Rugby Australia cannot afford another unfulfilled talent'

Fully agree, although 15 requires a lot of intelligence and I’m not sure he covers the back field well enough. Wing might be the best option for him.

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TT. 3 hours ago
Reds vs Chiefs takes: Fine margins, title fight and world-class players

They have quite a few indeed, nevertheless, which would be their best backrow combination in your opinion ?

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Guest 3 hours ago
'Move Sua'ali'i to 15 - Rugby Australia cannot afford another unfulfilled talent'

Whispers are Kiss isn’t a fan of JAS in the midfield and sees him more as an OB, we’ll see how that plays out but our shocking lack of depth in the centres at international and national level contributes.

12 Go to comments
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