Quade Cooper must be selected

I WANT Quade Cooper ahead of Kurtley Beale as one of the Wallabies’ final six players to be announced on Tuesday.

Quade Cooper

I WANT Quade Cooper ahead of Kurtley Beale as one of the WallabiesÂ’ final six players to be announced on Tuesday.

Cooper last night showed that he can handle the pressure the British & Irish Lions put on him, and consistently trouble them defensively.

I would not pick Beale on principle, given the off-field issues he has had.

Beale needs to get himself right for the rest of his life, not just for this Lions series, and with such spotlight on every player, I wouldn’t feel comfortable exposing him to that. I question his fragility, and I think his well-being must outweigh the Wallabies’ needs.

And also, we have the calibre of players in Australia to do the job in his absence, like Cooper.

While he made a couple of mistakes in Queensland’s narrow loss to the Lions at Suncorp Stadium last night, Cooper displayed an array of skills that is unmatched.

No other player in this country can pass with the width and accuracy that he does, and that tested the Lions defence on numerous occasions.

The Reds’ game plan was all out attack, Cooper had open slather to do what he wanted, but he still put in a balanced performance.

This was Cooper playing without Wallabies halfback Will Genia.

Can you imagine, with Genia’s awareness and combination with Cooper, how the pair could torment the Lions?

Wallabies coach Robbie Deans seems to be heading in another direction.

What we saw last night was the kind of expansive play that can defeat the Lions over three Tests.

Whether James O’Connor could pull off that style, I’m not so sure.

Cooper has displayed a level of consistency and versatility this year that warrants selection in the Wallabies squad, and I would be extremely disappointed if that is to be his only chance to play against the Lions.

If Deans wants to attack the Lions on the edges, and with a vigorous excitement that will have fans on the edge of their seats, Cooper is his man.

But if he wants to play it tighter, and use a more direct approach, he will leave Cooper out of the 31-man squad.

The way in which Queensland came out, on the back of a clear strategy from coach Ewen McKenzie.

You need a foot soldier like Cooper to execute that plan.

While he is high risk, he is also high reward. It is just a matter of Cooper being able to incorporate the subtleties.

The width and pace that he wants to play the game is astonishing.

The first 15 minutes of the game really was a blueprint on how to beat the Lions.

As Eddie Jones wrote this week, the Lions want to a play a controlled style of football, and you can rattle them by playing at a speed they can’t cope with, which was evident in passages last night.

In a game such as this, the Reds wanted to play a riskier, edgier type of game than they might have for some Super Rugby contests.

While it was an insanely energetic match with amazing skill and endeavour, we need to keep in perspective that McKenzie’s coaching career wasn’t on the line here.

He was able to accentuate and exaggerate his style, knowing there weren’t any competition points on offer, or great expectations of an upset.

Cooper’s first pass, a 20-metre cut-out that led to a break, was sublime.

His first few touches set the tone, with his bullet long passes stretching the Lions defence and keeping their frontline defenders and fullback uncertain.

Of course, there were mistakes in his game.

But I believe Cooper recognises the magnitude of any error last night to what it would mean in a Test match.

I also believe he can be the difference in this series.

To have him sitting on the sidelines would be a travesty for Australia and a blessing for the Lions players who were run ragged last night.