Michael Hooper’s run as captain of Wallabies under threat, Gosper out of World Rugby

Michael Hooper has enjoyed a long period as captain of the Wallabies, but the team’s results under him have not been so joyous.

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – OCTOBER 31: Wallabies captain Michael Hooper looks dejected after losing the 2020 Tri-Nations and Bledisloe Cup match between the Australian Wallabies and the New Zealand All Blacks at ANZ Stadium on October 31, 2020 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

Michael Hooper knows his days of captaining the wallabies are drawing to a close.

he admitted as much just as soon as he‘d finished explaining why he won’t be standing down as skipper after Saturday’s final Tri-Nations clash against Argentina.

“Haven‘t thought about it,” he said. “Why would I?”

His terrible record as captain is one answer that springs to mind.

With just 20 wins from 51 Tests in charge, his overall strike-rate just doesn’t cut it in the results-driven world of international captaincy.

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The Wallabies had not enjoyed a winning record under Michael Hooper. Picture: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

If he was the skipper of almost any other Australian sports team, it’s hard to imagine he would have survived so long.

The main reason he has is because he’s one of the few consistent world-class players in the Wallabies team who gives his all every time he plays – and there’s no obvious successor, even if Hooper himself admits his grip on the job is not forever.

“I know it‘s only a finite time you’re able to do that in anyone’s career,” he said.

“Great privilege and it‘s probably the longer I’m in the game the more I realise the great position that we are in.”

Dave Rennie (R) has time before he must select who will lead Australia to the 2023 World Cup. Picture: Anthony Au-Yeung/Getty Images

If Saturday’s match at Bankwest Stadium turns out to be Hooper’s last as captain, no-one may know that until the middle of 2021, robbing him of the send-off he deserves.

His winning percentage may be poor but that’s got more to do with the cattle at his disposal than his own leadership.

Dave Rennie hasn’t made a decision yet on who will lead the team next year and through to the 2023 World Cup in France and there’s no rush because the Wallabies aren’t playing again until the back half of July.

Hooper insists he wants to keep the job despite his awful record.

“It‘s a massive privilege to captain your country. I’ve been very lucky to do it on many occasions and I love that,” he said.

“I get to stand in the line and not only represent my country but lead some men that have sacrificed a lot and we get to do a lot in the jersey and do that all across the world.”

Hooper’s captaincy has been facing increased scrutiny in recent years as the Wallabies have plummeted down the world rankings after their worst-ever World Cup defeat last year and their heaviest ever loss to New Zealand just last month.

Michael Hooper and the Wallabies were left to rue another game that got away from them. Picture: Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images

He came under more fire two weeks ago when the Wallabies blew a 15-6 lead to draw 15-15 with the Pumas though he dismissed suggestions some of his calls contributed to the loss.

“I was very pleased with my decisions in the last game,” he said.

“We gave our opportunity there to take the win and move away with it.

“At 6-15 with 19 minutes to go, we were primed to move and put that game to bed, which we weren‘t able to do through our lack of discipline and game management there.

“We‘ll be better for that. I’ve learnt a lot in the past in making decisions around that and I was pleased with the calls that were made.”

The net result from that draw means the Wallabies need to beat the Pumas by over 100 points to snatch the Tri-Nations title from the All Blacks, which isn’t going to happen.

“We want both sides of our game to click tomorrow,” he said. ”We‘ve been good in patches in different games in the year.

“We‘re looking to have a complete performance in attack, counter-attack, defensively.

“(Pumas goalkicker Nicolas) Sanchez is a great player – we want to keep him to minimal points so we need to be disciplined to do that.”

WALLABIES:

15-Reece Hodge, 14-Tom Wright, 13-Jordan Petaia, 12-Hunter Paisami, 11-Marika Koroibete, 10-James O’Connor, 9-Nic White, 8-Harry Wilson, 7-Michael Hooper (captain), 6-Ned Hanigan, 5-Matt Philip, 4-Rob Simmons, 3-Allan Alaalatoa, 2-Brandon Paenga-Amosa, 1-Scott Sio

Reserves:

16-Folau Fainga’a, 17-Angus Bell, 18-Taniela Tupou, 19-Lukhan Salakaia-Loto, 20-Rob Valetini, 21-Jake Gordon, 22-Irae Simone, 23-Tom Banks

PUMAS:

15-Santiago Carreras, 14-Bautista Delguy, 13-Matias Orlando, 12-Jerónimo de la Fuente (captain), 11-Emiliano Boffelli, 10-Nicolas Sanchez, 9-Felipe Ezcurra, 8-Rodrigo Bruni, 7-Facundo Isa, 6-Santiago Grondona, 5-Marcos Kremer, 4-Matias Alemanno, 3-Francisco Gomez Kodela, 2-Julian Montoya, 1-Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro.

Reserves:

16-Jose Luis Gonzalez, 17-Mayco Vivas, 18-Juan Pablo Zeiss, 19-Lucas Paulos, 20-Francisco Gorrissen, 21-Gonzalo Bertranou, 22-Domingo Miotti, 23-Santiago Chocobares

AUSTRALIAN RUGBY’S LATEST BLOW ON WORLD STAGE

Australia’s shrinking influence on the global game has suffered another major setback with Brett Gosper announcing he is stepping down as World Rugby’s chief executive officer.

A former Australian Under 21s representative who followed in the footsteps of his father Kevan Gosper by forging a career in international sports administration, Gosper is taking on a new role as head of the NFL in Europe and the UK.

Brett Gosper. Picture: Rugby AU Media/Stuart Walmsley

Gosper had been with World Rugby for nine years but rumours of his pending departure were already doing the rounds at last year’s World Cup in Japan.

Although no announcement has been made yet, it is expected South Africa’s Jurie Roux, a close ally of re-elected World Rugby chairman Bill Beaumont, will take over as his replacement, increasing speculation the Springboks have already made up their mind to eventually leave the Rugby Championship and join the Six Nations.

BAD BRONCO IN BLUE?

The Waratahs are trying to sign Izaia Perese, the former Brisbane NRL player who defected to league from the Queensland Reds.

Perese’s stint at the Broncos came to an end in February after he pleaded guilty to supplying a dangerous drug in September 2019 at Albion Creek.

The court lifted a probation order that allowed Perese to take up a contract with French rugby club Bayonne this year.

Former Brisbane Bronco Izaia Perese is wanted by the Waratahs. Picture: Liam Kidston

However, the Tahs want Perese to bolster their backline for 2021.

Perese, 23, was tipped as one of Australian rugby’s best prospects and was involved in Wallabies training camps before his defection to the Broncos in 2018.

WALLABIES IN SEVENTH HEAVEN

Rugby Australia is still scrambling to work out what to do with next year’s inbound tests because of the knock-on effects of the COVID lockdown.

The international calendar for 2021 is still being finalised but the Wallabies are expected to host at least seven Tests – three against France and two each against New Zealand and Argentina.

Under the new rugby championship format – where teams play each other twice in one country one year then twice in the other country the next year, the world champion Springboks will not be coming to Australia until 2022.

Australia is expected to host seven Tests next year. Picture: Cameron Spencer/Getty

Sydney and Brisbane will not be considered for the two Bledisloe Cup matches in 2021 as they got their chance this year so the matches against the All Blacks will be in Melbourne and Perth – leaving France as the big ticket clashes for NSW and Queensland.

Scotland and England have been locked in for the end of year tour to Europe but the remaining fixtures are still being decided with some surprises possibly in store.

MAGICIAN IS RECOGNISED

Not before time, but former Wallabies captain Mark Ella has been elevated to Legend status in the New South Wales Hall of Champions.

Ella joins the likes of Donald Bradman, Evonne Goolagong, Murray Rose, and Richie Benaud as official Legends of their sports – 36 years after he retired from international rugby.

Ella played 25 Tests for Australia, captaining the Wallabies 10 times, and finished his career by scoring a try in each Test on the 1984 Grand Slam tour.

Wallabies and NSW legend Mark Ella.

BEASTIES SIGNING

Eastern Suburbs have named former Sydney Sixers general manager Dominic Remond as their first chief executive.

It’s not so much of a shift from cricket to rugby for Remond, but a return.

“My association with Easts started playing with the Bays (Easts feeder club), then over 100 games with the senior club,“ Remond said.

“I have met some of my best friends through my involvement with the club and am very pleased to be able to add value through my passion for the district and my sports administration experience.”

Club president John Murray said: “Easts has been working very hard on and off the field to be the best rugby club in Australia”, Easts President John Murray said.

“The appointment of Dom as our CEO is the next logical step in lifting our game. We have upgraded the role to CEO to reflect Dom’s ability and our expectations – we are the first Shute Shield Club to take this step.”

Originally published as Michael Hooper’s run as captain of Wallabies under threat, Gosper out of World Rugby