Queensland’s two-minute prop, hungry Harry Hoopert, gets his chance to throw weight around

HE’S one of the brightest prospects in the country, and earned the rare front-rower’s honour of making his Super Rugby debut as a as a teenager. But two minutes wasn’t enough for Harry Hoopert.

Reds hold on in tight affair Impressive young Queensland Reds prop Harry Hoopert looks on from the sidelines.

TWO-minute prop Harry Hoopert has fresh incentive to throw his hungry farm-bred clout into Australia’s bid to upset the Kiwis in Saturday’s Under-20s international on the Gold Coast.

Only a handful of front-rowers ever earn a coach’s confidence to be road-tested in Super Rugby as a teenager which was Hoopert’s milestone for the Queensland Reds against the Lions last weekend.

The nod from coach Brad Thorn was an exciting lift-off and the 111kg prop from Jondaryan on the Darling Downs wants to turn his brief two-minute cameo into something far more substantial in the seasons ahead.

New Queensland Reds prop Harry Hoopert will get his chance to impress against the young Kiwis.

Asserting himself upfront at Bond University is essential if this new crop of Australian Under-20s are to go close to repeating the grand upset of 2016 on the same turf when Mack Mason kicked a penalty goal after the full-time buzzer.

“I had a slight feeling I might get on for the Reds with 5-10 minutes left and it was definitely a special moment to cherish when I did for my debut,” Hoopert said.

“I hope there’s more to come.”

He is another Thorn disciple and two strong, low tackles in his brief minutes showed he was up for fending off the fast-finishing and physical Lions.

“Thorny always says it doesn’t matter how young you are, prove you are good enough when the opportunity comes,” Hoopert said.

“We won that game with a lot of young fellas and that’s a big thing to make the Reds strong into the future.”

Hoopert is highly regarded as one of Australia’s up-and-coming props.

Hoopert is making his mark at Brothers which is the club of former Wallaby prop Tony D’Arcy, another of the rare 19-year-old Queensland props who made his debut 40 years ago.

Hoopert has some old-fashioned farm strength in his frame from working on the property where sorghum, corn and mungbeans are staple crops under farm manager-father Adrian.

The youngster’s country roots were boldly displayed last weekend when he got to wear the blue-and-yellow socks of the Dalby Wheatmen, his junior club, when the Reds made their popular grassroots nod to the clubs and schools that produced their players.

Hoopert was given his Super Rugby debut by Reds coach Brad Thorn.

As a Toowoomba Grammar product, he greatly admires twins JP and Ruan Smith, two school old boys who are making their own stamp on the Reds as props this season.

The twins will today turn out with halfback James Tuttle in a strengthened GPS side against Wests at Ashgrove while Quade Cooper (hamstring) will be missing when leaders Souths take on Bond University with Reds hooker Alex Mafi aboard at Chipsy Wood Oval.

With the Reds on a bye, it is a good chance for lock Harry Hockings (Under-20s), the Smith boys and Mafi to get solid time before the mission to play Japan’s Sunwolves in Tokyo in a week.

AUSTRALIA UNDER 20S TEAM TO FACE NEW ZEALAND

Harry Hoopert, Efi Ma’afu, Tom Ross, Trevor Hosea, Harry Hockings, Esei Ha’angana, Fraser McReight, Josh Kemeny, Ryan Lonergan (c), Lawson Creighton, Matt McTaggert, Isaac Lucas, Len Ikitau, Isiah Latu, Mack Hansen. Reserves: Sama Malolo, George Francis, Josh Nasser, Angus Blyth, Justin Sikimeti, Tate McDermott, Tony Hunt, Hayden Sergeant.

Originally published as Queensland’s two-minute prop, hungry Harry Hoopert, gets his chance to throw weight around