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Wallabies skipper Michael Hooper in line for early Super Rugby return from Japan

Michael Hooper.(Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

The NSW Waratahs aren’t ruling out sending an SOS for Wallabies captain Michael Hooper as they look to resuscitate their Super Rugby Trans-Tasman campaign.

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Winless in Super Rugby AU and still reeling from leaking 64 points in their Trans-Tasman tournament opener against the Hurricanes last Friday night, the Waratahs confessed to some serious squirming during the video review.

“It wasn’t pretty,” lock Hugh Sinclair said on Monday.

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“A few too many soft one-on-ones just when they went straight through our midfield and all of a sudden it’s a try.

“That’s just not good enough at Super Rugby level.

“That’s third, fourth-grade level.”

Defence coach Jason Gilmore, who harbours ambitions to take over the head role, is demanding Waratahs players put their bodies on the line when they confront the Blues at Eden Park on Saturday.

“I’d definitely say there’s a few boys there that’d be licking their wounds that have got to have a bit more accountability to their contact skills,” Gilmore said.

“It’s not like if you make an error, it’s not going to cost you. It’s not like you can hide in defence.

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“We can’t afford that week to week in this competition. The Kiwi strengths are out on the edges so the boys are going to have to aim up there.”

Hooper has been hugely missed since while on a sabbatical in Japan, with Gilmore noting that the champion flanker and fellow Wallabies forward Ned Hanigan “really held the forte well in defence” for the Tahs.

With his Toyota Verblitz side eliminated from the Japanese Top League semi-finals at the weekend, Hooper is now serving his 14-day quarantine period.

Supremely fit, he could conceivably be available for the Waratahs’ last two Trans-Tasman round games against the Highlanders and Chiefs.

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“We’ll just see how he goes through quarantine because obviously he’ll have been pretty idle for a fortnight there,” Gilmore said.

“So we certainly don’t want to rush him back where he gets a soft tissue injury or something like that.”

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R
RedWarrior 1 hour ago
Three-way race to be number one in World Rugby men's rankings

IF SA and NZ win then its 1,2,3 SA/NZ/IRL Otherwise as you were. This is largely irrelevant beyond bragging rights.


As I have pointed out elsewhere the practical use of the Rankings is to determine the seedings bands for the RWC draw. The draw takes place early 2026 and hopefully the rankings will be taken from then.


Important to be in the top 6, the top 12. (and likely the top 4).

This is because there are now 6 groups in the RWC 2027.

If you are in top 6 you are in Seeding Band 1. That means none of the other top 6 will be in your group.

Seeding Band 2 are teams from 7-12, who will have a top 6 team but no other 7-12 team.

After England's defeat by NZ there is clear water between NZ in 3rd, France in 4th and England in 5th. England are desperate for top4, ill come back and explain why later.

Lets look at Seeding Band 1 and 6th place. If you make 6th, no top 6 team is in your group, you are top dog. If you win your group, you won't be facing a top 6 team in your 1/8th final, you will be facing a weaker team. If you fail to make 6th place you WILL have a top 6 team in your group and if you don't win your group you WILL (probably) meet a top 6 in the 1/8 final. That's massive.


Its Argentina holding 6th now. Assuming England hold 5th, then its a 4 horse race for 6th. Argentina, Scotland, Italy and ...Australia. (ranked 6,7,8,9)

Australia play the Lions in NH summer 2025 they are running out of time to get up to 6th for their own RWC. They MUST make a move now. They must beat Wales and they really must beat Scotland to gain points and take points off them. Could they surprise England or Ireland? England may be the better bet but Schmidt knows Ireland so well having masterminded their downfall in France.

Another one to watch is Italy V Argentina. Italy are ambitious and they will want to start pushing the likes of Argentina. If they win this they are still in the hunt. Well worth a watch either way.


Top4: I think the top 6 will be seeded, all the way through from the draw. If thats the case then the top 4 will be seeded to avoid each other until the semi. Good for more certainty around ticket sales etc. That's a possible reason why England want in there. You're not in there you are hitting a top 4 team in a QF. That's an extra 50:50 match you can do without and avoid by being top 4.


Lets look at what Seeding bands might look like with todays rankings:


Seeding Band 1

IRE/SA/NZ/FRA/ENG/ARG

Seeding Band 2

SCO/ITA/AUS/FIJ/WAL/GEO


Sample Aussie strongest pool opponent and 1/8th final opponent if in top 6

Strongest pool opponent: FIJI

1/8 final opponent GEORGIA

Prognosis: advance to 1/4 and potentially beyond


Sample Aussie strongest pool opponent and 1/8th final opponent if NOT in top 6

Strongest pool opponent: SOUTH AFRICA

1/8 final opponent NEW ZEALAND

Prognosis: You know the prognosis


I am pretty sure this is not lost on Joe Schmidt?


Keep in mind when enjoying the matches.

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