Why Quade Santini Cooper will go down as a Wallabies great
New Zealand rugby fans just couldn’t help themselves. With their sporting heroes locked in a tense battle with their arch-rival in Dunedin last August, thousands attempted to sour the Test by making it all about one man for all the wrong reasons.
That man is Quade Cooper – and that shouldn’t come as a surprise. The New Zealand-born Wallabies flyhalf has long been the player that many in Aotearoa love to hate.
It all started as Cooper locked horns with Richie McCaw on more than one occasion, but the ‘hate’ for the Wallaby has developed into something else entirely. Even All Blacks fans probably don’t realise what their fury is built on.
Respect. Admiration. Envy. All three words fit the bill. Say what you want about Quade and continue to tell yourself it’s reality, but the truth is that fans don’t boo players they don’t fear.
Philadelphia 76rs guard Patrick Beverley summed it up best from an athlete’s point of view late last year, saying: “Everywhere I go I get booed.
“I think that’s a sign of respect. It actually helps me get going… they wanted to give me some boos, but that’s part of my career. I’m used to it.”
It’s “a sign of respect” when athletes get booed, and while it hasn’t always been easy for him to deal with – more on that soon – it’s something that adds to Cooper’s status and lore as a Wallabies great up there with the likes of Michael Lynagh and Stephen Larkham.
The Auckland-born talent moved across the Tasman in the early 2000s before embarking on a glistening high school career with Anglican Church Grammar School in Brisbane.
Cooper emerged as a generational talent, and that rugby prophecy was fulfilled in 2007 when the then-18-year-old debuted for the Queensland Reds.
But Cooper’s potential as a long-term option for the national team took a forward step the following year as the teenager entered the cauldron that is Test rugby for the first time. Cooper came off the pine and ended up scoring a try inside the final 10 minutes against Italy.
The following year, Cooper started in the prized No. 10 jersey as the Wallabies ended a 47-year drought over the Springboks in Bloemfontein – but more on Quade’s dominance over the Boks in a bit.
As a trailblazer for what it means to be uniquely talented on the rugby field, a side-stepping and flick-passing Cooper led the Reds to a Super Rugby title in 2011. More silverware was on the way, too, with the Wallabies winning the Tri Nations with a win over the All Blacks.
Cooper went on to start every Test for the Wallabies at the sport’s showpiece event in New Zealand, with Australia going on to claim a bronze medal at Eden Park.
Whilst the Wallabies playmaker continued to chip away and impress at Test level, playing in New Zealand was always tough – the boos, which got old quickly, clearly got to him.
But in 2013, the Wallabies ventured to Dunedin’s Forsyth Barr Stadium – the very same venue as last year’s Bledisloe Cup Test – and while they fell short of victory, they made history.
Cooper nailed all six shots at goal, knocked over a drop goal, made three try-saving tackles and two line-breaks. Add a try-assist for Adam Ashley-Cooper Cooper to that, too. With Cooper scoring 18 points, that Australian team became the first side to reach the 33-point marker against the All Blacks in New Zealand.
That deserves some praise.
The Wallabies went on to win four of five Tests during their tour to the northern hemisphere that year, with a close defeat to England at Twickenham the only blip in their Grand Slam pursuit. Cooper started all of these Tests.
Cooper helped the Wallabies reach the Rugby World Cup final two years later but entered the international rugby wilderness shortly after.
If former coach Ewan McKenzie was still at the helm for the 2015 World Cup and beyond, the Gitau law may never have been introduced and Cooper would’ve been the main man.
Years passed by and Cooper’s international appeared to be over. But Dave Rennie had another idea.
With Rennie stepping into the Wallabies’ hot seat in 2020, the new coach soon handed Cooper a Test revival in 2021. Back in Wallaby gold for the first time in more than 1540 days, he had a blinder against the Springboks.
Cooper scored 23 of 28 points on the Gold Coast and 100 per cent shot accuracy from eight attempts off the kicking tee – including a long-range penalty at the death which saw the Wallabies edge the defending world champions.
With Rennie coaching the side and Cooper in the No. 10 jersey, the Wallabies were actually tracking upwards two years out from the 2023 World Cup.
Australia beat the world champion Boks twice, and another two wins over Argentina followed with Cooper at flyhalf. The Wallabies hadn’t looked that good in a while and Cooper was the reason why.
Those wins extended Cooper’s impressive success over the now-four-time world champions. Coming up against some of the most menacing players in Test rugby history, the Wallaby has won 11 of 17 matches against South Africa – a win rate of 65%.
But with that in the past, a significant injury risked derailing everything the following year. With Cooper still leading the way for Australia, he ruptured his Achilles against Argentina in Mendoza.
Cooper was left to watch the Wallabies almost fall to their worst year on record. Then, new coach Eddie Jones came in and changed everything once again.
As was the case for most of his career, coaching instability prevented Cooper from achieving even greater heights in Wallaby gold.
Jones, who handed Cooper his debut at the Queensland Reds two decades earlier, was obsessed with ushering in the next generation which led to some questionable selections.
After playing in all four Tests up until that point, Cooper was famously left out of Jones’ World Cup squad – a decision that has since been heavily criticised.
An 80 Test career, which was almost unanimously expected to continue as a key figure in France, suddenly came to a stop.
While it’s true that Cooper only won two of 14 Tests against the All Blacks – who were in the midst of their most dominant era ever, losing just 3 Tests between 2011 and 2015 – there’s no denying Cooper’s greatness.
Up there on the Mount Rushmore of Australian first-fives with Michael Lynagh, Stephen Larkham and Mark Ella, Cooper did things that others simply couldn’t.
That’s what it means to be great.
Quade Cooper hasn’t retired from Test rugby, and has instead signalled an intent to keep going, but last year’s Test in Dunedin could be the last time we see him in a Wallabies jumper.
Take a moment to appreciate how he made the Wallabies significantly better during some of their toughest periods in history as they came up against the all-conquering All Blacks.
So, if this is it, congratulations New Zealand for throwing Cooper off his game with the needless boos. It might have had an impact, sure, but it didn’t stop Quade from becoming a Wallabies great.
Comments on RugbyPass
What a joke. Total joke and the pundits commentating, all of whom know a bit about the game, could barely disguise their contempt. Reaching for the card then pulling back when he realised a red card would carry further match suspensions is simply not his decision to make. A clear and obvious influence on the outcome of this match and indeed, the championship path.
2 Go to commentsI like the idea, in NZ the Ranfurly Shield and NPC coexist, both having their own bragging rights. The World Cup would be the pinnacle, but the competition and travels of these trophies would be interesting.
40 Go to commentsDon’t worry Sonny bill Williams leave that awkward situation about the curfew in the pass whoever it was it doesn’t matter its no big deal we back our All Blacks through the storm and the thunder until we see the Sun light again.
42 Go to commentsWho listens to this retard? He was a massive liability as a player but obviously a media sensation
42 Go to commentsI’m not surprised by such ‘virtue signalling’ by Sonny Boy. Butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth. He’s such a pious Islamic muppet, imo.
42 Go to commentsI’ve actually never heard of the guy (then I don’t watch League as it is boring). But if he is good enough.. then good luck to him. If not, well, he can always return to league.
2 Go to commentsIt is pretty clear that by almost any measure that NZ are a more successful rugby nation than South Africa. Quite aside from the distasteful events during the last RWC final. NZ lead SA in all significant measurements.
40 Go to commentsDickson went to his pocket for a card, saw who it was, changed his mind and spoke at length to TMO. One angle clearly shows Care diving over a Saints player to kill the ball. 1st yellow, reason given for not Red was player was falling backwards. He was only falling backwards after contact with Lawes. Graham try should have stood. Mitchell did not have both hands on the ball, ball went forward from a Saints boot dragging over it. 2 intentional knock-on's. One of which had an overlap on the outside. If Quins are happy to win by intentional foul play, then it does not say much for them. Would appear to be a bad day for Karl Dickson, also for the RFU in appointing a Ref who spent 8 years as a player at one of the clubs.
2 Go to commentsLet’s not forget about Ardie Savea just yet.
4 Go to commentsThe URC and the Euro Championscup can’t run at the same time, basically dilutes both competitions.
1 Go to comments“While Sotutu should start at No.8 for the All Blacks against England, but it’s only in that arena that he can prove just how good he really is.” And that my friends is where simply hasnt shone despite multiple opportunities. Even in this performance you can see what did him in in the test arena..he almost always still runs at the opposition almost ramrod upright making him easier to stop than it should be.
4 Go to commentsShould have been 0-0 and a message from SR CEO to both teams - “don’t worry about turning up next year”.
4 Go to commentsGreat work Owen Franks. A great of this team, scoring his first try for the Crusaders since 2010.He was beaming, justifiably. A fine win, he and the rest did the job up front.
1 Go to commentsDanny Care. Lang in die tand.
1 Go to commentsBig empty stadium does nothing for atmosphere but munster are playing well with solid performance
1 Go to commentsYes, Fiji can win the World Cup! With that belief plus their christian faith🙏 and hard work it is achievable. Great article. Ian Duncan Fiji resident 1981-84
2 Go to commentsInteresting comments about Touch. England’s hosting the Touch World Cup this year and the numbers have exploded since their last World Cup in 2019, something like 70% more teams and 40 nations taking part. And England Touch have made a big thing about how many universities are in their BUCS University Touch Championship as well as Sport England membership. Can only see this growing even more domestically as more people become aware of it
10 Go to comments“Cortez Ratima is light years ahead of anyone on current form, while TJ Perenara has also skyrocketed into contention following the unfortunate injury to the talented Cam Roigard.” At last some sanity. Hitherto so many pundits have been wittering on about Finlay Christie to the point one wondered if they were observing a FC in a parallel universe where the FC they saw wasnt just the mediocre Shayne Philpott project of Fosters hapless AB reign in the real world. Ratima, Perenara and Fakatava are the ONLY logical 9s for Razor now Roigard is crocked.
4 Go to commentsThis game was just as painful as the Hurricanes game. It was real fork-in-the-eye stuff.
4 Go to commentsNow if they could just fire the Crusaders ground PA guy who likes to play his dance music and just loves the sound of his own voice the entire game, even when play is going on. And I thought their brass band thing of a few years ago was bad.
5 Go to comments