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‘Wasn’t a great role model’: Eddie Jones’ shocking reason for axing Michael Hooper
By Finn Morton
Just a few weeks on from the Wallabies’ disastrous pool stage exit at the Rugby World Cup, coach Eddie Jones has explained the shock omission of Michael Hooper.
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In what will come as a surprise to many, Jones said the former captain “wasn’t a great role model” for the new-look team.
Jones, 63, made the stunning revelation in an interview with former Wallaby Peter FitzSimons when asked about the omitted trio of Hooper, veteran Quade Cooper and playmaker Bernard Foley.
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While Foley hasn’t been involved with the Wallabies since last year, both Hooper and Cooper were initially seen as key members of Jones’ Wallabies – both started the first Test of the year in South Africa.
But that was the only Test that Hooper – who was named as the Wallabies’ co-captain along with James Slipper before The Rugby Championship – played under Jones. An injury brought a surprise end to the flanker’s international career.
When Australia’s World Cup squad was announced on August 10, Hooper was sensationally overlooked. Quade Cooper was also left out as Jones favoured rising star Carter Gordon as the only player listed as a flyhalf.
The youth experiment at Rugby World Cup 2023 backfired for Jones and the Wallabies. 22-year-old Gordon struggled, and the team clearly missed Hooper’s invaluable experience.
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But coach Jones stands by the decision. Jones didn’t believe the unfavoured trio of Hooper, Cooper and Foley were “obsessed” enough to don Wallaby gold in France.
“The situation reminded me of when Wayne Bannett let Wally Lewis go. No one could quite understand why, but Wally Lewis wasn’t a great role model for the rest of the team,” Jones told The Sydney Morning Herald.
Knockout
11 - 12
Final
6 - 44
SF1
15 - 16
SF2
17 - 29
QF1
24 - 28
QF2
30 - 24
QF3
28 - 29
QF4
“And for those guys, I don’t think they were the right role models for the team going forward. Don’t get me wrong. They’re not bad guys.
“But you need guys – particularly when you’ve got a team like Australia has at the moment – you need guys who are obsessed with winning, obsessed with being good, and those three are past those stages.”
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Michael Hooper is widely considered to be one of the greatest players in Wallabies history, and when you consider the veteran’s Test CV, it’s hard to argue with that point.
Hooper captained Australia at just 23 years old and went on to become the most experienced skipper in the history of Australian rugby.
“I don’t think they were the right role models”. https://t.co/iGZsFEz3Vl pic.twitter.com/Zwb0hBiE1E
— Tom Decent (@tomdecent) October 27, 2023
Hooper also won the prestigious John Eals Medal – the award that recognises Australia’s best rugby union player – a record four times. While it seems unjust to label the former flanker a poor role model, coach Jones doubled down.
“I stand by it, 100 per cent,” Jones added. “He is a great guy but the timing is not right for him.”
In an interesting twist, Jones will coach 125-Test veteran Hooper when the Barbarians take on Wales next weekend.
Hooper will run out in the famous black and white strip alongside Wales legend Alun-Wyn Jones and 2019 World Cup-winning Springbok Duane Vermeulen.
The Sydney Morning Herald also revealed on Friday that coach Jones has “taken the first steps” towards quitting as Wallabies head coach.
He got everything wrong for this World Cup…including this judgment about Hooper! Why ask his opinion? 🤨
Eddie Jones is a cheque book mercenary coach, claiming patriotism to being back for AUS, from the begining their were Japan rumors. This guy with the sanity of Chemical Ali of Iraq war fame, ‘we are destroying the infidels’, but mate there tanks are behind you. AUS were 0 - 6 talking positivity etc..
Calls Hoops, a real worker through a dull era of AUS rugby, a bad role model.
Pot calls Kettle black much.
Hooper is the epitome of a great role model and even defended and stood up for Con-Man Jones when others didn’t. I really hope ARU will recognise this and get Hooper back in the leadership seat he deserves.
So where has Eddie's obsession with winning got Aussie rugby?
He’s just coached Australia to their worst ever world cup finish. He's lost to a Tier 2 nation and every single match against Tier 1 opposition this year.
Who inherited the World and Bledisloe Cups and lost them? Who in his first stint had the worst record of any Australia coach from 1984 to 2013? And in his second the worst record since goodness knows when?
And now to try to excuse his failures he's trashing Hooper, a four times John Eales Medal winner and true gentleman.
He's not doing himself any favours.
What a massive twat baclstabber Eddie is. After Hooper actually stood up for him. Unbelieveable. How people keep employing him is beyond me
Where are all the current Aussie players who are willing to stand up and support Eddie a la Foster and the ABs? I would’ve expected someone to put their hand up and back him….if there was such a person. They are conspicuous by their silence.
Its a damning indictment on Jones and his comments only make it worse.
Conman con-manning til the bitter end.
Meanwhile on more informed news sites: Eddie Jones and Rugby Australia have taken the first steps towards formally negotiating an exit for the embattled Wallabies coach after a disastrous Rugby World Cup campaign.
Just a twat having a cheapshot on the way out the door. So Eddie.
Australia sacrificed a World Cup at the altar of Eddie Jones. Sure, they were unlikely to get to a SF but a QF was well within their capabilities with those three in the squad. Surely McLenan has to go now as he dumped Rennie to get Jones in. What a shemozzle.
Wow what a POS Jones is i’d day he never ceases to amaze me but i’m literally not surprised he threw Hooper under the bus even after Michael bloody defended him!. I’d also say i’m not sure obsession was what was needed, maybe more like commitment and diligence. I’d also day he’s mixing up obsession with devotion to the great God EJ