Rugby World Cup: Wallabies five-eighth Quade Cooper not concerned by tiny Villa Park

QUADE Cooper says he is not concerned about losing his bearings on a “miniature” Villa Park despite the Wallabies denied a captain’s run on the converted soccer field.

BATH, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 15: Quade Cooper of Australia in action during a training session at the University of Bath on September 15, 2015 in Bath, United Kingdom. (Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)

FLYHALF Quade Cooper says he is not concerned about losing his bearings on the reduced-size Villa Park despite the Wallabies not being able to do a captain’s run on the converted soccer field.

Australia will take on Uruguay at the home of Premier League side Aston Villa in Birmingham but the first time they’ll set foot on the field is 90 minutes before the game due to South Africa playing Samoa there on Saturday.

They’ll have to survey the field quickly and thoroughly because Villa Park is one of the smallest playing fields being used in the Rugby World Cup.

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South Africa training on the converted Villa Park.

Compared to the normal Test venues like Twickenham, ANZ Stadium and Suncorp Stadium, the sidelines at Villa Park are one metre narrower both sides and in-goals are much shorter.

Where Millennium Stadium’s field dimensions are 100 metres long, 70 metres wide and with 10-metre in goals, the Villa Park field dimensions are 95 metres long, 68 metres wide and with six metre in goals.

It has the potential for kickers to over-egg a kick to the sidelines or for try-scorers to run out of space.

But having played often on tiny fields in Italy, Cooper said he wasn’t worried.

“I don’t think we get the chance to go and have a look at it, but a field doesn’t change too much,” Cooper said.

“We’ve been training here at Bath and guys played at Millennium Stadium, there are a lot of different circumstances at a World Cup and a lot of variables that you have to adjust to and adapt.

“We’ll get there for the warm up quite early that will give us an opportunity to go out there and have a look around but it’s not a big concern on mine.

“Just turn up with the right mindset, understand that Uruguay are standing in the way of furthering ourselves at the World Cup. The size of the in-goals and how close the crowd is to the touchline isn’t a real concern.”

Cooper is among a host of Wallabies in the “B” team who’ll be aiming to put their best foot forward against Uruguay, in the hope of a call-up to play against England at Twickenham next Sunday morning (AEST).

Bernard Foley was preferred to Cooper in the Wallabies’ strongest side who beat Fiji in Cardiff but when asked how it felt to be overlooked, Cooper said his focus is on team goals, not personal ones.

Quade Cooper will start at five-eighth against Uruguay.

“I don’t see it as being overlooked. I see it as they were the guys who got the first opportunity,” he said.

“We’re all here as a team to do the one job, which is to wind the World Cup. The overall is to win the World Cup, not to play in games or be the guy who said I started every game at the World Cup.”

Cooper stressed the only way or an individual to shine is for him to focus on the needs of the team, and what must be done to win.

“If you go out there as an individual, you’re not going to do anyone justice. You’re not going to do the team any justice or yourself,” he said.

Adapting will be a theme of the day for the Wallabies. Not only is the field small, but the unusual midday kick-off will also require a major change of routine.

Then, of course, is the prospect of coming up against Uruguay, who Cooper admitted they know little about. Cooper will have a major role in steering the Wallabies.

“It’s exciting for the whole team. We don’t know too much about them, they could throw anything at us but we have to adapt and learn on the run,” he said.

“We’ll go out and have our plan, but if things surprise us we’ll adjust on the go.”

Originally published as Rugby World Cup: Wallabies five-eighth Quade Cooper not concerned by tiny Villa Park