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'Beautiful, Quade Cooper' - legends heap Twitter love on Aussie fly half
By Paul Smith
The last 48 hours have produced plenty of talk about sporting fairy-tales.
We started with the one about the 18-year-old girl who packed her bag and headed off to New York seeking fame, fortune and the US Open.
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Of course that had a particularly unlikely twist – since she had to win three more matches than anyone else – and who could possibly believe a plot line that saw her simply obliterate all-comers without dropping a set?
Hot on the heels of the Emma Raducanu fable came one which possibly stretched credulity even further.
When Australian boss Dave Rennie recalled Quade Cooper to start against World Cup winning South Africa not everyone was convinced.
Sky Sports News described the 33-year-old’s recall as “a major surprise” before adding “the mercurial play-making talent returns to the test arena for the first time in four years.”
Cooper proceeded to kick eight goals – a 100 per cent return – including a match-clincher which split the uprights after the full-time hooter had sounded.
Throw in a colourful back story which sees the New Zealand-born no.10 denied Aussie citizenship on no fewer than four occasions despite having appeared over 70 times in green-and-gold and lived in his adoptive country since the age of 13, and you have the makings of a future Steven Spielberg blockbuster.
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And to top things off, Cooper’s brilliant display has since received praise from plenty of rugby union royalty, starting with perhaps the most famous goal-kicker of them all for whom one word and a tag said it all.
Beautiful @QuadeCooper https://t.co/IcupJOxGAp
— Jonny Wilkinson (@JonnyWilkinson) September 12, 2021
Growing up in Australia, this man may have been more of an idol for Quade than Jonny Wilkinson
What a test.. @wallabies
Welcome back @QuadeCooper .. ?? fairytale stuff
????
— Matt Giteau ?? (@giteau_rugby) September 12, 2021
Recent Wallaby teammates certainly liked what they saw…
You beautyyyy!!! @QuadeCooper ??? @wallabies ??
— Kurtley Beale (@kurtley_beale) September 12, 2021
Even his current rivals had to pay their respects
@QuadeCooper welcome back to test footy #Bang?
— Aaron Smith (@Te_Nug) September 12, 2021
From one legend to another…
Proud moment for my brother. ?? @QuadeCooper I’ve always said better men make better players. Quade is a testament to that. Love you bro ?? Alhamdullilah https://t.co/WqWfgZKEzQ
— Sonny Bill Williams (@SonnyBWilliams) September 12, 2021
While another former Wallaby great decided he would like this particular fairy-tale to have a different kind of happy ending.
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Surely that kick gets @QuadeCooper his Australian citizenship??!!
— Drew Mitchell (@drew_mitchell) September 12, 2021
The sequel follows shortly…
