It's a idiocy from NFJ. FFS Cooper is absolutely, clearly, head and shoulders-ly, one of Australia's finest rugby assets and not only was he an utterly decisive figure in the Reds' S15 success, but is almost as much so for the 2011 Wallabies.
NFJ's public berating - and the use of 'boofhead' no less - what possible constructive benefit does this have for any part of the Wallabies RWC campaign? It's little but a absolute gem of a gift to the NZ rugby media (and, of course, the silently waiting Minister for Bad Manners). Why not at least balance up such comments with a positive recognition of Cooper's major contributions? Who would the amateur-era, media-attention-hungry NFJ like to have for a much-better-mannered Wallabies RWC 10 - Barnes? Or Giteau back? Come on, really.
I also recall most vividly NFJ's ringing endorsement of Burgess as a future Wallabies 9 in 2008. Totally OTT. Burgess went on to evolve into the.....the 9 who could never, ever master the art of rapid precision passing out of the ruck when it mattered in Tests.
So amusing all the precious words of advice from Wallaby supporters re 'respecting the ABs and HRH R McCaw'. Whenever have we been so respected by them? There is no greater consistent very, very long sporting run of defeats and humiliations of a major Australian sporting team that that successfully imposed upon Australia by the ABs decade after decade after decade. I for one wish a successful reversal of that tide, and I have no problem with a bit of niggle and counter-niggle to do it, 99% of which has been minor and utterly harmless.
When the Australian cricket team ushered in its period of sustained world dominance and pioneered extremes of sledging of opposition batsmen in the process, and which S Waugh openly and proudly termed as part of his team's 'the object is mental disintegration of the opposition' plan, no one really batted an eyelid here in Australia (we just loved the winning and more winning); it was Pommy journalists that were always outraged (until England started adopting the same tactics). As Groucho has astutely pointed out, the type of niggle that QC (Quade Cooper) is employing is an obviously team-endorsed ploy to unsettle the ABs and get them energised in an uncompetitive direction, a form of cleverly induced distraction. And it just might be working.
