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Why ex-Wallabies captain Michael Hooper is wearing No.77 in SVNS
Rugby fans are quite used to seeing Michael Hooper run around with the No. 7 on his back. The former Wallabies captain won four John Eales Medals, went to two Rugby World Cups and quite simply became an Australian rugby great with that digit on his jersey.
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But wearing two of them, now that’s something new. After being made to wait all day and into the night to debut, Michael Hooper ran out onto the sacred turf at Hong Kong Stadium while wearing the No. 77.
Hooper, 32, came on as a second-half substitute and practically made an immediate impact with a double tackle against Fiji. But that was just the start with ‘Hoops’ also getting the ball out wide once and of course getting stuck in around the breakdown.
With the final play of the match, Hooper’s crowning moment on debut came. The Australian may have had a new number on his back, but it was more of the same from the Test rugby veteran who won a penalty with some quick work at a ruck.
Australia had beaten Fiji 12-nil in front of a packed house at the world-famous rugby sevens venue. Hooper and his teammates walked off the field with smiles on their faces but questions still remained about the double digits on his jersey.
But as Hooper explained: “It’s really quite simple,” he told RugbyPass & SVNS Series with a smile. “Seven was taken so I thought I’d take two of them.”
New number, same Hoops 💪#Aussie7s #HSBCSVNS pic.twitter.com/UnIA6ZySqV
— Australia Sevens (@Aussie7s) April 5, 2024
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It was a tense start to the contest with both teams trading blows around midfield but the Australians took some control when James Turner crossed for the opener in the fifth minute.
Milestone man Henry Hutchison added another to the score during the second term as the match began to look like Australia’s lose.
Then, enter Michael Hooper. The former Wallaby was seen stretching on the sidelines before entering the fray of international rugby sevens for a scrum inside Australia’s half.
“Luckily for me, I think there were a couple of stoppages, a couple of knock-ons,” Hooper explained.
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“I’ve heard about the humidity here in Hong Kong and there’s a nice breeze but the ball is still quite wet.
“That allowed for me to catch my breath a couple of times.
“I think that game suited me there,” he added later.
“It wasn’t too expansive, it wasn’t just (defending) in open field which I’m really learning and seeing it’s a different art in sevens.
“That game was a lot of rough and tumble in the middle of the field. Pleased that it kept it to that for the first hit out.”
Comments on RugbyPass
I hope they didn’t pay Jones fee?
2 Go to commentsTo be fair, the teams he's had to put out are reminiscent of those available to Gatland during his horrible run at the Chiefs in late 2020. Anyway, he's only got a two year contract and Wellingtonian Tamati Ellison will be ready by then, as will a lot of talented youngsters (like the Chiefs Gatland blooded). The Crusaders are planning for the long term.
4 Go to commentsGreat to see more community spending leading to higher participation in the community. It's a long road but that's a good first step.
2 Go to commentsPoetic justice for trying to sell him to Australia as another kiwi saviour coach, not ! Deans was just as bad actually but McCaw and Carter covered up for him. That’s why they didn’t want him as All Black coach, even after Graeme Henry’s bumbling effort in 2007.
4 Go to commentsSACK HIM !
4 Go to commentsSafas are so triggered by Ireland. 3 consecutive losses, incl RWC. 8 losses out of last 12 Tests. Always excuses, of course, with Bok fans. Now Rassie with his “88%” nonsense, the Claytons Excuse is an embarrassment to Bok teams of the past when every test mattered. Their fickle mojo will be on edge for the Ireland tour. Have the referees been appointed yet ? They will need security. Have WR laid out strict guidelines for TMO’s and replays on the stadium screens ? Will the constant stoppages from Bok forwards for cramps and bootlaces be tolerated ? We’re not talking a dominant Springbok team here, they won the LOTTO Cup and they know it whether they admit it or not. The Disney doco has their fans positively fermenting internally, its going to be a nasty hangover if they get beaten on home soil. What will the excuses be then……
96 Go to commentsGreat role model.
2 Go to commentsOne significant tell, not a single Waratahs player stopped to whinge to the ref about Finau’s tackle. They got on with playing the game. Great tackle.
8 Go to commentsWouldn’t be a bad move if Ireland pulled into SA with a young side. Particularly in Pretoria. Invaluable experience getting thumped in the bosveld.
96 Go to commentsIreland. The Princess Diana of Rugby. I never cheered so much for a team as i did for the All Blacks in that QF.
96 Go to commentsWill be great to see the Leinster first XV back in action again after their cotton wool time…
1 Go to commentsLooked up Grant Constable on google and reply was doppelgänger for Ben Smith
96 Go to commentsIt is so good that we now all get excited and debate who is best and emotionally get involved. We all back our teams which is great. Up until about 15-20 years ago, NZ was basically on its own, and then Saffa, Aussie and sometimes French and English were there. We now have at least 5-6 really top sides and another 4 who keep improving. This is so healthy. So we should not resort to rubbish comments and unhealthy debate, but rather all be chuffed that the product we watch is not competitive, exciting and often uncertain. It would be so good if World Rugger could find a way to align the rules to professional players as well as spectators. Live rugby games are SO boring as there is SO much down time as we wait for refs and TMOs and whoever else to look at every small event going back endless phases with the hope of eventually find a minute infringement to then decide cancel what was a wonderful try. This is the ultimate cork back in the bottle moment and feels like every balloon is always being popped. Come on- we must be better with the rules.
96 Go to comments“upon leaving said establishment I tripped over a stool knocking some bottles into the air and as I fell I accidently dislodged a police officer’s teaser who was passing by on an unrelated matter there by landing on said taser which caused it to discharge 50,000 watts into me. Out of shock I shouted Ireland are going to win the world cup. Upon waking up I apologised for the distress caused by my Ireland comment. The matter is closed. If you wish to pursue this matter may I remind you what I told Wayne Barnes when he sent me off. I AM A BIG ASS MAN”. Or was it “I AM A BIG ASS, MAN” or was it “I AM A BIG ASSMAN”?
2 Go to commentsThe only championship the Boks hold are: Great value for the incompetence of referees during the RWC Moaning endlessly and champions of spewing utterly ignorant 💩 at all times. Displaying the dangers of a third world education End of.
96 Go to commentsSouth Africa and Rassie do a phenomenal job of treating the 4 years in between World Cups as nothing more than a training exercise to build squad depth. The Six Nations money that keeps Irish rugby afloat is unfortunately too important to allow the same approach, and basic population size means we'll never get close to matching the depth of South Africa, England and France. That being said, Irish rugby is in a relatively good place and slowly improving inch by inch. If the other three provinces can pull the finger out and actually develop some players it'd be even better.
96 Go to commentsGood on Clarke for taking on the criticism and addressing his deficiencies, principally his laziness.
2 Go to comments“It is the people’s favourite against the actual favourite. It is the people’s champions against the actual champions. I’m joking, but it’s going to be a fantastic series.” Why did Darcy make that joke knowing it would be used as click bait? Why did RP headline it as a serious comment? Anyway, the tired comment isn’t very astute. SA players may have played more games etc. Darcy over estimated as a pundit.
96 Go to commentsNot sure Frisch will ever make the French team with Depoortère and Costes waiting in the wings to take over from Danty and Fickou.
1 Go to commentsThe Irish are tired and the Boks are old. The test series won't confirm who is best in the world, it will confirm which team needs to pursue the task of rebuilding with the most urgency.
96 Go to comments