WALLABIES five-eighth Quade Cooper has declared that the Wallabies are ''very confident'' about their World Cup prospects after thrashing France to conclude their European tour.
But Cooper expressed a sense of frustration that the spring tour finished a "few games" early as the Wallabies only found their groove towards its end. The trip produced a mixed bag of results, with a heavy loss to England at Twickenham and a defeat to Irish team Munster in Limerick. But Cooper credited the nature of the Wallabies' 32-14 victory against Italy for the subsequent 59-16 rout against defending Six Nations champions France and for also fostering a feeling of optimism heading into the World Cup year.
"Coming into the World Cup we're confident, very confident, and are all looking forward to the challenge ahead of us," Cooper told The Sun-Herald. "We're a young team but we've been together for a few years now.
"It has taken a little while to get used to the different style of attack that Robbie [Deans] employs. After a few years of it there is now an understanding; everyone knows the game plan and everyone is buying into it as well. I think the way he has gone about it, by blooding a lot of young guys, has been great. It seems as though the benefits are starting to come through now."
Cooper identified the young side's growing ability to be patient for the back-to-back successes against the Italians and French.
"The game against Italy was just waiting to click over and open up," Cooper said. "We took things out of that game that really stuck; like guys holding on to passes rather than going for the extra offload.
"We held on to the pill because we believed we could score in the next phase. And that was what happened against the French, those type of things really clicked in, and it was great."
Cooper said the Wallabies, who will compete in group C of next year's World Cup against Ireland, Italy, Russia and the US, had finally grasped what Deans wanted of them. And he considered it a compliment that observers were saying they could see glimpses of the Crusaders - the New Zealand-based Super Rugby franchise Deans coached to a total of five victories (three in Super 12, two in Super 14) - in the Australian team.
"We love spreading the ball, and any turnover ball we love to use that and try to exploit any weaknesses in the opposition," he said. "I think the mould is there to be a great team just like the Crusaders but we are a fair way off it. And I think that is the good thing about the Wallabies … everyone is still looking to improve and we're all very excited about our future."
Cooper, who was reportedly offered $1.5 million over three years to switch to the Parramatta Eels, decided to remain in rugby and signed a one-year deal to play in next year's World Cup in New Zealand.
However, the Kiwi-born five-eighth, who was named the 2010 Super 14 player of the season, said his role for both the Wallabies and the Queensland Reds meant he had the basics to succeed in league.
"I think union and league athletes are very similar in their size, stature and their mental approach," Cooper said.
"We play team sports and our football codes are very similar. Being a playmaker means my skill and fitness levels wouldn't change too much [in league]. I'd need to work on some aspects of my game - including reading the game - but my fitness and skill attributes would be fine. I played league as I grew up in New Zealand and then in Brisbane."
Cooper made his comments in while recording Australia's Greatest Athlete challenge on Queensland's Sunshine Coast, in which he's been pitted against a number of athletes from other sports, including rugby league's Kurt Gidley, the Newcastle Knight who is acknowledged as one of the fittest players in the 13-man game.
"He's very fit, he's rocked up here with some big guns [muscles] on him," said 22-year-old Cooper. "He's also very talented.
"As I say, I don't think there is all that much of a difference between league and union players [as athletes], we all share a 'give it everything' approach.''
