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'I said f*** straight away': Quade Cooper tables All Blacks theory as reason for World Cup axing

Quade Cooper of Australia charges forward during The Rugby Championship & Bledisloe Cup match between the New Zealand All Blacks and the Australia Wallabies at Forsyth Barr Stadium on August 05, 2023 in Dunedin, New Zealand. (Photo by Joe Allison/Getty Images)

Former Wallabies flyhalf Quade Cooper has tabled his theory on why Eddie Jones dropped the mercurial playmaker on the eve of the Rugby World Cup last year.

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After five years in the international wilderness, Cooper made a miraculous Wallabies comeback in 2021 under Dave Rennie leading the team to five straight wins before an Achilles injury sidelined him.

When he returned to full health, the Wallabies had a new coach in Eddie Jones with just nine months remaining until the World Cup.

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Cooper started the first two Tests of the Rugby Championship campaign in 2023, a heavy loss to the Springboks in South Africa and a tight loss to Argentina at home in Sydney.

But it was his return to New Zealand in the second Bledisloe Test that he believes cost him a place in the Rugby World Cup squad.

“I came on with like 10 or 15 minutes left to play, trying to chase this game,” Cooper told Ebbs and Flows Sporting News podcast.

Cooper recalls the last period of play against the All Blacks where Australia had a chance to win the game.

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The flyhalf had kicked a 46-metre penalty to level proceedings 20-all with eight minutes to go.

With four minutes remaining the Wallabies were hot on attack around halfway when Cooper saw a short side opportunity.

“We get like a three-on-one and I was just like in a hurry, just went boom. I looked, Whitey threw me the ball, as soon as it hit my hands I felt the paint, touch line on it, and I’d already looked so I went to try and do quick hands.

“It just started to slip straight through my hand. I said f*** straight away in my head. I was like okay that’s the game.”

Cooper’s cold drop gave the All Blacks a scrum 40-metres out, from which the drew a penalty to ice the game. Richie Mo’unga kicked the game-winning penalty from that spot for a 23-20 win.

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The veteran flyhalf said “he knew” he wasn’t going to be picked in the World Cup squad to head to France after that moment.

“I just knew that moment for me, I already had a feeling that I wasn’t going to make it,” Cooper recalled.

“But now that solidified it in my head, because I know how Eddie is and he’s going to be super pissed off that I basically lost that game.

“So he’s like going to go “f*** it, I’m not taking him, he’s pissed me off’. You know, so that’s how I felt.”

Cooper’s intuition proved to correct as Jones selected just one flyhalf in young Carter Gordon to head to Japan, relying on fullback Ben Donaldson as a back-up option.

At the time Jones had gone public with the news that he couldn’t reach Cooper by phone, but the veteran said that the former head coach didn’t have the respect to tell him directly why he had been left out in the first place.

“You hear all the other boys saying oh yeap, messaging each other, other guys have been called to say that they hadn’t been picked,” he said.

“I just felt a little bit disrespected in that sense. I felt like I was close enough with Eddie for him to just call and be like this is why, or whatever.”

The final Bledisloe game in 2023 against the All Blacks in Dunedin remains Cooper’s last ever game for the Wallabies.

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Oh no, not him again? 2 hours ago
England internationals disagree on final play execution vs All Blacks

Okay, so we blew it big time on Saturday. So rather than repeating what most people have all ready said, what do I want to see from Borthwick going forward?


Let's keep Marcus Smith on the pitch if he's fit and playing well. I was really pleased with his goal kicking. It used to be his weakness. I feel sympathy for George Ford who hadn't kicked all match and then had a kick to win the game. You hear pundits and commentators commend kickers who have come off the bench and pulled that off. Its not easy. If Steve B continues to substitute players with no clear reason then he is going to get criticised.


On paper I thought England would beat NZ if they played to their potential and didn't show NZ too much respect. Okay, the off the ball tackles certainly stopped England scoring tries, but I would have liked to see more smashing over gainlines and less kicking for position. Yes, I also know it's the Springbok endorsed world cup double winning formula but the Kiwi defence isn't the Bok defence, is it. If you have the power to put Smith on the front foot then why muzzle him? I guess what I'm saying is back, yourself. Why give the momentum to a team like NZ? Why feed the beast? Don't give the ball to NZ. Well d'uh.


Our scrum is a long term weakness. If you are going to play Itoje then he needs an ogre next door and a decent front row. Where is our third world class lock? Where are are realible front row bench replacements? The England scrum has been flakey for a while now. It blows hot and cold. Our front five bench is not world class.


On the positive side I love our starting backrow right now. I'd like to see them stick together through to the next world cup.


Anyway, there is always another Saturday.

7 Go to comments
C
CO 2 hours ago
Scott Robertson responds to criticism over All Blacks' handling errors

Robertson is more a manager of coaches than a coach so it comes down to intent of outcomes at a high level. I like his intent, I like the fact his Allblacks are really driving the outcomes however as he's pointed out the high error rates are not test level and their control of the game is driving both wins and losses. England didn't have to play a lot of rugby, they made far fewer mistakes and were extremely unlucky not to win.


In fact the English team were very early in their season and should've been comfortably beaten by an Allblacks team that had played multiple tests together.


Razor has himself recognised that to be the best they'll have to sort out the crisis levels of mistakes that have really increased since the first two tests against England.


Early tackles were a classic example of hyper enthusiasm to not give an inch, that passion that Razor has achieved is going to be formidable once the unforced errors are eliminated.


That's his secret, he's already rebuilt the passion and that's the most important aspect, its inevitable that he'll now eradicate the unforced errors. When that happens a fellow tier one nation is going to get thrashed. I don't think it will be until 2025 though.


The Allblacks will lose both tests against Ireland and France if they play high error rates rugby like they did against England.


To get the unforced errors under control he's going to be needing to handover the number eight role to Sititi and reset expectations of what loose forwards do. Establish a clear distinction with a large, swarthy lineout jumper at six that is a feared runner and dominant tackler and a turnover specialist at seven that is abrasive in contact. He'll then need to build depth behind the three starters and ruthlessly select for that group to be peaking in 2027 in hit Australian conditions on firm, dry grounds.


It's going to help him that Savea is shifting to the worst super rugby franchise where he's going to struggle behind a beaten pack every week.


The under performing loose forward trio is the key driver of the high error rates and unacceptable turn overs due to awol link work. Sititi is looking like he's superman compared to his openside and eight.


At this late stage in the season they shouldn't be operating with just the one outstanding loose forward out of four selected for the English test. That's an abject failure but I think Robertson's sacrificing link quality on purpose to build passion amongst the junior Allblacks as they see the reverential treatment the old warhorses are receiving for their long term hard graft.


It's unfortunately losing test matches and making what should be comfortable wins into nail biters but it's early in the world cup cycle so perhaps it's a sacrifice worth making.


However if this was F1 then Sam Cane would be Riccardo and Ardie would be heading into Perez territory so the loose forwards desperately need revitalisation through a rebuild over the next season to complement the formidable tight five.

28 Go to comments
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