Wallabies coach Michael Cheika set to meet Quade Cooper after snubbing him from squad yet again

WALLABIES coach Michael Cheika plans to fly to Brisbane to sit down with Quade Cooper in the next month — despite leaving him out of the Bledisloe Cup squad.

Quade Cooper is on the Wallabies outer — but coach Michael Cheika hasn’t closed the door completely.

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WALLABIES coach Michael Cheika plans to fly to Brisbane to sit down with Quade Cooper in the next month after ignoring him from his Bledisloe Cup squad.

Australia suffered a midfield blow when Karmichael Hunt was ruled out for two months after undergoing ankle surgery, but Cheika still refused to bring in Cooper, who is holidaying in Bali.

Cooper is on the Wallabies outer — but Michael Cheika says he hasn’t closed the door completely.

“We knew when we picked the squad [Hunt] had been injured in the game, Karmichael is filling a different role there, he’s filling a 12 or back-three player,” Cheika said.

“Kurtley Beale has got that covered with the 10s, we’re working on a few other ideas, I’m happy enough with the players we have here now, I don’t think we need to bring anyone.

“Of course when Quade starts playing again, we’ll be straight on to having a look.

Kurtley Beale looks on during a Wallabies hills training session in Newcastle.

“I’ll go up between now and then to talk over the things we spoke about around the play, but I’m pretty comfortable with the players we have here now, they’re in a good zone and training hard.”

It is expected Cooper will have to play for Brisbane City in the National Rugby Championship starting September to earn a recall to the Wallabies.

Beale and Reece Hodge are the only firm inside centre options for the games against the All Blacks on August 19 in Sydney, and August 26 in Dunedin.

Cooper will likely play for Brisbane City in September to try and force a Wallabies return.

Bernard Foley is the only full-time five-eighth in the training squad, and if he is injured Beale will be his replacement at No. 10.

Hunt made his Test debut in June and started all three Tests for the Wallabies against Fiji, Scotland and Italy.

He showed strong signs, particularly in defence, and would have been a sound option to stop the Kiwi attacking threats of Sonny Bill Williams and Ngani Laumape, who play the inside centre position.

Originally published as Wallabies coach Michael Cheika set to meet Quade Cooper after snubbing him from squad yet again