Friday’s rugby news has Quade determined, the Wallabies with a backrow dilemma, the squad still in the dark and England ready to go.
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Quade’s quest for redemption
Four years after being left shattered by a brutal World Cup campaign in New Zealand, Quade Cooper insists he is primed to eradicate those mental demons. The Auckland-born Cooper was at the centre of a media storm at the 2011 World Cup, where he was made public enemy number one.
Cooper now admits he became “too relaxed”, a trigger brought about by the hostile environment. Heading into the 2015 World Cup, 27-year-old Cooper feels much better prepared. “As a player and as a person I’ve grown immensely,” he said. “I won’t take any second for granted this time around.
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Backrow battle
With Michael Cheika set to name his starting World Cup side on Monday, it is becoming more and more likely that David Pocock and Michael Hooper will play in tandem in the backrow, with Wycliff Palu now reported to be battling a hamstring injury
“I don’t think he’ll be right for the first game but he should be OK for the second game,” Cheika said. A healthy Palu may still be left out of the starting backrow, with a strong argument for starting Pocock at No.8 with Hooper at openside after that exciting combination excelled in the win over the All Blacks in Sydney.
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Wallabies still unclear
Nick Phipps has asserted that the Wallabies squad is still in the dark over selection for their first World Cup match against Fiji on Wednesday. “It’s been pretty brutal in training and the combination of mixing and matching means we haven’t been given an indication about what they’re thinking,” the 26-year-old said.
Phipps will be particularly on-edge, engaged in a close battle for the starting halfback position with Will Genia. Phipps, who played all of Australia’s nine tests last season, said: “It is quite a battle between us and I have done enough work in the last few years to do my best in the tournament and hopefully get the nod from the big men up top.”
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England in peak condition
England forwards coach Graham Rowntree has asserted that England will peak from the opening game and will be able to handle the pressure of being tournament hosts. “Data doesn’t lie. The guys are in the shape of their lives… hitting pbs (personal bests). We’re ready for tomorrow,” Rowntree said.
Rowntree also emphasised that the combination of home advantage and England’s big-game experience should help relax them. Comparing the World Cup spectacle to the 2012 London Olympics, he said that the team were not weighed down by the pressure but were boosted by the support of the country.
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