Tom Hooper says he has returned to Wallabies 'more of an athlete'

Tom Hooper is back on Australian shores and enjoying the “familiar accents”, but he also recognises a lot has changed since he was home last and prepping for a Wallabies campaign.

The versatile forward wrapped up his first season with Exeter Chiefs just last week with a final loss to Northampton Saints, but wasted no time in flying back to Australia to prepare for the Wallabies’ July Nations Championship Tests, fronting media in Sydney just seven days out from an opening Test against Ireland.

Reflecting on his growth since the last time he was with the Wallabies, Hooper said he’s come a long way.

“I think I’ve played 22 games for (Exeter) already; you rack them up pretty rapidly,” he said.

“So it was important for me to make sure I’m looking after my body well, and I also turned into more of an athlete; I went over there a little bit on the pudgey side and had to get in the gym and work hard. It was cold outside, so there were no sacrifices, no beaches to be missed, so I just hopped in the gym, came back an athlete, and now I’ve got to look after my body if I want to play long seasons. I’ve certainly learned in that regard, and that’ll put me in good stead for these upcoming Test matches.”

Head-to-Head

Last 5 Meetings

Wins

0

Draws

0

Wins

5

Average Points scored

17

25

First try wins

60%

Home team wins

60%

Hooper said it’s not just him who has undergone a transformation since the last Test season, with his return to the Wallabies environment reconnecting him with plenty of familiar faces who are benefiting from putting in the hard yards.

“As Laurie Fisher says, ‘we’re in the business of getting better,’ and everyone’s certainly done that in the 12 months I’ve been away. I look at one of my best mates, Lachie Shaw, and 12 months ago he was like my little brother at the Brumbies, and now we’re in the same (national) team together,” Hooper grinned.

“It’s good to see guys like him, guys like Miles (Amatosero) progress; Declan Meredith, me and Declan came through the Canberra comp together. He was playing for Wests, I was playing for Vikings. So seeing those three guys get an opportunity in here is pretty special.

“And then guys like Charlie Cale coming back from injury, it’s great to see everyone a year on and see how their skill sets have developed. I think we’re trending in the right direction, and it’s a great squad that we’ve picked.”

The 25-year-old ranked 13th in both carries and tackles completed in his debut season in the Gallagher PREM, quickly carving out a role in Rob Baxter’s forward pack.

While Hooper said he wasn’t taken aback by any drastic differences in life in the PREM compared to Super Rugby, he did find subtle differences that expanded his outlook on the game.

“It’s pretty similar, to be honest. There are nine ways to skin a cat, and they have a few different approaches to the game and how they play it, which is always a good thing, I think. It’s good to add a few different strings to your bow and be able to play different brands of rugby.

“So it wasn’t so much a shock, but it’s really nice being able to work with some different coaches and play with some international quality players over there, and against some as well. I certainly think I’ve improved because of that. I knew it was going to be a challenge, and it certainly was.”

Now in the rare position of dedicating his time to two different teams on two different sides of the globe, Hooper says he has to be considered and intentional as he shifts from club rugby to international rugby.

“Unfortunately, you can’t wear two hats at one time; you’ve just got to be really present in the location that you’re in, so right now I’ve flushed all of my Exeter knowledge, and I’ve got my Wallabies cap on. You get in a bit of danger if you’ve got a foot in both camps. I know come Monday, when we really need to have all the knowledge locked down, it’ll be up there somewhere.”

While Exeter teammate Len Ikitau and Ulster counterpart Angus Bell were enjoying one-year sabbaticals before resuming deals with the Brumbies and Waratahs, respectively, Hooper is joined by Taniela Tupou as Wallabies selections on multi-year overseas deals. Hooper was emphatic when asked whether splitting time between hemispheres would affect his willingness to put his hand up for Wallabies duties.

“That hand will be up until you drag me off the rugby field. It’ll always be up for Wallaby gold. We’re definitely ready to go. We wanted to get out on the training pitch today and put our best foot forward. It was good to get some cobwebs out before a big week next week.”