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Wallabies captain Michael Hooper reveals the test rookie he is 'excited to be playing alongside'

By AAP
(Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)

Out of quarantine and into a new era for Australian rugby, Wallabies centurion and captain Michael Hooper is raring to go in Sunday’s opening Bledisloe Cup match.

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Australia takes on New Zealand at Wellington’s Sky Stadium in their first international test since last year’s World Cup.

Disappointing results from both trans-Tasman sides in Japan have brought new coaching regimes and a broom to sweep through the playing stocks.

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Dave Rennie, Harry Wilson and Filipo Daugunu speak to media

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Dave Rennie, Harry Wilson and Filipo Daugunu speak to media

Just two of the Wallabies starting against the All Blacks this weekend were on the field for the World Cup quarter-final loss to England last year.

On top of the mass turnover, the Wallabies have never known a Test preparation like it; flown to Christchurch for a fortnight of cooped-up training under New Zealand’s strict quarantine regime.

The release of the squad was confirmed on Saturday morning, but came too late for Australia to enjoy a run out at the ‘Cake Tin’, as Wellington’s harbour-side stadium is locally known.

It hasn’t bothered Hooper, who admits the oddity of the occasion but is taking a no-excuses mentality into Australia’s first test in 358 days.

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“Too right it’s been strange,” he said.

“It’s been rugby, rugby and then playstation for some of the guys.

“We’ve just been released and no face masks for us now. Are we ready? Yeah we’re ready.

“Who would have thought at one point … that any of us would be playing test rugby this year. We’re all so pumped.”

Dave Rennie, overseeing Australia for the first time just a few kilometres from where he grew up, has named three Wallabies for their debuts; outside centre Filipo Daugunu, Hunter Paisami at 13 and Harry Wilson as blindside flanker.

“These guys all deserve to be here. They’re here for a reason,” Hooper said.

Given their work together on the forward line, Hooper has worked closely with Wilson and admires plenty about the 20-year-old’s game and attitude.

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“I’m excited to be playing alongside Harry ,” he said.

“Big body, good carrier and hungry for a lot of that work. A good engine. Hopefully we get the ball in hand as much as possible.”

Hooper said on Friday he didn’t fear the prospect of taking on the All Blacks in New Zealand, despite the Wallabies’ 19-year run without success on the Shaky Isles.

Yet to taste the winning feeling in New Zealand, Hooper s aid that was good motivation.

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Jon 8 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

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j
john 11 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

But here in Australia we were told Penney was another gun kiwi coach, for the Tahs…….and yet again it turned out the kiwi coach was completely useless. Another con job on Australian rugby. As was Robbie Deans, as was Dave Rennie. Both coaches dumped from NZ and promoted to Australia as our saviour. And the Tahs lap them up knowing they are second rate and knowing that under pressure when their short comings are exposed in Australia as well, that they will fall in below the largest most powerful province and choose second rate Tah players to save their jobs. As they do and exactly as Joe Schmidt will do. Gauranteed. Schmidt was dumped by NZ too. That’s why he went overseas. That why kiwi coaches take jobs in Australia, to try and prove they are not as bad as NZ thought they were. Then when they get found out they try and ingratiate themselves to NZ again by dragging Australian teams down with ridiculous selections and game plans. NZ rugby’s biggest problem is that it can’t yet transition from MCaw Cheatism. They just don’t know how to try and win on your merits. It is still always a contest to see how much cheating you can get away with. Without a cheating genius like McCaw, they are struggling. This I think is why my wise old mate in NZ thinks Robertson will struggle. The Crusaders are the nursery of McCaw Cheatism. Sean Fitzpatrick was probably the father of it. Robertson doesn’t know anything else but other countries have worked it out.

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