Wallabies team for Bledisloe Cup opener against the All Blacks doesn’t include Quade Cooper
Wallabies coach Dave Rennie has made a call on whether veteran star Quade Cooper will face the All Blacks on Saturday.
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Comeback kid Quade Cooper has done everything asked by Wallabies coach Dave Rennie since his shock call-up to the national squad but his test return will have to wait.
The 33-year-old, who hasn’t played for Australia since 2017, wasn’t picked for Saturday’s Bledisloe Cup opener against the All Blacks at Eden Park after a tumultuous week for Rennie’s team.
Wallabies captain Michael Hooper expressed his disappointment in the trio of players, including John Eales medallist Marika Koroibete, who were banned from playing after breaching drinking protocols last weekend.
It earned them a rebuke from team management and forced a re-jig to the backline with Jordan Petaia and Andrew Kellaway picked on the wings where Koroibete has been starring.
Petaia will be making his first appearance for the Wallabies in 2021 and Kellaway has earned his first international start.
The Wallabies are looking to end a 35-year losing streak to the All Blacks at the Auckland graveyard and Hooper said the team had put the tumult of the early week behind them.
“We’ve had conversations within the group and we’ve moved forward with it, that’s all we can do,” Hooper said on Thursday.
“We’ve got to deal with these things, people will make mistakes, we understand that and we move on and try and play our best rugby.
“We have spoken a lot about what it’s going to take to beat this All Blacks team and the decisions that were made never aligned with that.
“It was dealt with earlier in the week and has allowed us to move on. We’re in a good place.”
On Wednesday, Rennie said senior players were “pretty angry” with their wayward teammates but was happy with their efforts to regain the trust of the group.
“In the end they are good men who made a poor decision,” he said.
Cooper on the other hand has continued to make good decisions since being added to the 42-man squad and been “fantastic” with incumbent number 10 Noah Lolesio.
While he missed selection for the opening Bledisloe Cup clash, Rennie said the veteran playmaker had shown enough to suggest he could yet make a Wallabies return.
“Quade has been excellent, as we hoped,” he said.
“Certainly the conversation I had with him a couple of weeks ago about him coming in, he’s delivered on all that.
“He’s been a real positive influence, he’s been fantastic with Noah, they are sitting down all the time talking about various options
“I’ve spoken to him about the fact he’s not just in here to help Noah, and ige us a training number. He genuinely wants to play test footy. I have no doubt that is a possibility.”
Tate McDermott will partner Lolesio in the halves, making his second test start.
Harry Wilson will take the No.8 jersey of Isi Naisarani, who was banned with Koroibete following the drinking session in their hotel room last Sunday night.
Taniela Tupou will be deployed from the bench against the All Blacks, with scrumhalf Jake Gordon and the experienced duo of Matt To’omua and Reece Hodge picked as replacements to cover the backline
The Wallabies are attempting to win back the Bledisloe Cup for the first time since 2002.
All Blacks coach Ian Foster has named such a strong team that for the first time in five years star playmaker Beauden Barrett will come off the bench against a tier 1 side.
Richie Mo’unga won the race for the coveted No.10 All Blacks jersey and Damian McKenzie named at fullback.
Wallabies team to play New Zealand at Eden Park, Auckland on Saturday, August 7, 5.05pm AEST
1. James Slipper (103 Tests)
2. Brandon Paenga-Amosa (12 Tests)
3. Allan Alaalatoa (46 Tests)
4. Darcy Swain (3 Tests)
5. Lukhan Salakaia-Loto (28 Tests)
6. Rob Valetini (7 Tests)
7. Michael Hooper (c) (108 Tests)
8. Harry Wilson (8 Tests)
9. Tate McDermott (5 Tests)
10. Noah Lolesio (5 Tests)
11. Andrew Kellaway (2 Tests)
12. Hunter Paisami (9 Tests)
13. Len Ikitau (2 Tests)
14. Jordan Petaia (8 Tests)
15. Tom Banks (14 Tests)
Replacements:
16. Jordan Uelese (13 Tests)
17. Angus Bell (6 Tests)
18. Taniela Tupou (28 Tests)
19. Matt Philip (12 Tests)
20. Fraser McReight (1 Test)
21. Jake Gordon (8 Tests)
22. Matt To’omua (57 Tests)
23. Reece Hodge (46 Tests)
Originally published as Wallabies team for Bledisloe Cup opener against the All Blacks doesn’t include Quade Cooper
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