Rugby World Cup: fan’s touching message inspiring Quade Cooper to crack Wallabies starting side
A TOUCHING message from a young fan has helped Quade Cooper put the game and his career into perspective as he tries to break into the Wallabies starting side.
Rugby
Don't miss out on the headlines from Rugby. Followed categories will be added to My News.
INSPIRED by a message from a young fan with terminal illness, Quade Cooper believes he made a strong claim for a spot in the Wallabies side to play England during a one-sided rout over Uruguay at the weekend.
Cooper helped the Wallabies post a 65-3 victory over the world no. 19 ranked South Americans but as ever with Australia’s most mercurial rugby star, it was anything but smooth sailing for the five-eighth.
Cooper showed superb skills to assist in several of the Wallabies 11 tries but had a wayward day with his goal-kicking and, like many Wallabies, coughed up possession with simple handling errors as well.
UNLUCKY: McMahon a victim of Wallabies backrow riches
PRESSURE: Wallabies leave England at home with their fears
FIVE THINGS: did Quade kick himself out of starting side?
The moment that saw social media resume it’s normal split on Cooper was when the
27-year-old was sin-binned in the first half for making contact with the neck of Uruguay halfback Augustin Ormaechea in a judo-throw tackle.
The call was due to a World Rugby crackdown on head and neck contact, but coach Michael Cheika later defended Cooper, saying it was “harsh” and that he’d consider appealing the yellow card.
That would seem to be more on principle than concern Cooper could accrue three yellow cards and face a suspension at the World Cup.
Whether Cooper is even on the field to risk more yellows is the more question, with pundits again split on whether he’d done enough to oust incumbent Bernard Foley for the all-important clash against England on Sunday at Twickenham.
For his part, Cooper was happy with his direction of the Wallabies attack in their defeat of Uruguay, which was the biggest score posted at the World Cup so far.
Asked if he staked a claim for a call-up, Cooper said: “To be honest, I did.”
“I was happy to be out there and do my part, Where I’m continuing to try to push my claims is at training each day. I’m trying to do everything that asked of me and do it well. If I get an opportunity I know I’ll be ready and will have the backing of the guys,” he said.
“Everybody is in that frame of mind of doing the best job at training. Whoever gets the opportunity we’ll support them. This is bigger than any individual, this is bigger than the team, winning each game and trying to win the Cup. This is for the country.”
Cooper said the Wallabies had held their attacking shape well against a tricky and unknown Uruguayan defence, who praised as gritty and on the improve.
Speaking with the Uruguayan player post match gave Cooper a sense of the grand stage of the World Cup and how much it meant to the mostly amateur side.
But Cooper said he’d also received a touching message from a very sick young Wallabies fan that had put the game and his career into perspective.
“My Mum sent me a message before the game of a kid in Brisbane who I sent a jersey to one time and he’s suffering from a brain tumour that he might not live to the end of the World Cup but he wanted to pass on his best wishes to me and the team,” Cooper said.
“It sort of made me realise that out on the field we make an impact to people’s lives and it’s more than just a game. It’s how we want to represent ourselves on the field, off the field and we want to be what we can to be the best people we can.”
Cooper’s off day with goal kicking may be an impediment to a call-up, however. He kicked five from 11 conversion attempts, and with Wales showing how valuable goal kicking is if you want to beat England at Twickenham, Cooper stayed out on the field after fulltime to try and get in more practice.
“I was just a bit disappointed with a few of the misses. I just wanted to get out and practice a few, trying and get out early,” Cooper said. “I’m confident in my ability, I know that I have been kicking well at training.”
Originally published as Rugby World Cup: fan’s touching message inspiring Quade Cooper to crack Wallabies starting side
‘It will change your life’: Wallaby’s message of hope after ADHD diagnosis
After years of grappling for an extreme and compulsive workload, Wallaby Carlo Tizzano sought help. And he says what happened next changed his life — and rugby career — for the better.
Rugby Sevens golden girl’s quest for LA games as a mum
She won Aussie hearts as a fresh-faced youngster steamrolling opponents on her way to Olympic gold. Now Charlotte Caslick wants to add mum to her list of titles on the way to a fourth Games.