By Jim Morton
March 20th 2010 @ 1:41am
Cooper ahead of Gits, Barnes in playmaker stakes
Quade Cooper’s irresistible Super 14 form has him leading the contest for Australia’s chief playmaking role, according to former Wallabies inside back Rod Kafer.
After the personal low of his controversial end to 2009, mercurial five-eighth Cooper has enjoyed a great start to 2010, spearheading Queensland’s amazing turnaround.
His performances beside Wallabies halfback Will Genia have helped put the Reds one competition point from the top four and stamped him as a strong alternative to Matt Giteau and Berrick Barnes as the Wallabies’ No.10.
With both Giteau and Barnes yet to fully assert themselves with the Brumbies and NSW respectively, Kafer feels Cooper’s improved ability to mix his big bag of tricks with control and vision makes him currently the leading contender for this year’s Test campaign.
The former long-time Brumbies back, now the players’ association president and a TV rugby analyst, would like to see Cooper and Giteau switch the 10 and 12 Wallabies jerseys they wore in November’s Grand Slam tour.
“If you are to say at the moment what player is going to give me the best chance of scoring tries and winning matches then I find it hard to go past Quade Cooper in the form he’s in,” Kafer told AAP.
“Matt Giteau is obviously a very good player and would be in the reckoning somewhere but I’ve been a long-term believer that Matt Giteau’s best position is at 12.
“Gits has occasionally joked with me that he doesn’t believe that’s the case but Gits is a wonderful 12 and I really love him at 12.
“That 9-10-12 combination of Genia-Cooper-Giteau is mouth-watering and that’s not taking anything away from other players in the mix there including Berrick Barnes.”
The first Wallabies team of 2010, to play Fiji in Canberra, will not be named until June 1, a month before Cooper’s due in court for a committal hearing over a burglary on the Gold Coast in December.
The 21-year-old, who flew to South Africa with the Reds on Friday, must continue his hot form to enhance chances of being picked as Australia’s five-eighth for the first time in his 11-Test career.
But he has the benefit of playing outside Genia, whose service is easily the best in the country, and boasting a winning combination with the Test halfback.
The two Reds sit with the Bulls‘ Springbok duo of Fourie du Preez and Morne Steyn as the form halves pairing in the Super 14.
Kafer felt Barnes’ move from Queensland to the Waratahs had made Cooper and Genia step up, and they’d responded superbly to the extra responsibility.
“You’ve got two guys who are the leaders of the team in critical positions and they are playing the game in a fashion they enjoy,” he said.
“Quade’s got all the tricks in the bag and that’s the thing that excites. It excites me watching him because you can see this guy has got so many options that he can take.
“What he struggled with previously is taking the right one and now he makes the right play.”
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jus de couchon said | March 20th 2010 @ 10:23am | Report comment
Next season the best no.10 in Australia will be an Englishman. As hes already played for England you cant poach him for Oz.Damm shame you lot in the Southern Hemisphere cant stop poaching the talent from Samoa /Figi etc.
hammer said | March 20th 2010 @ 11:24am | Report comment
Troll
mcxd said | March 21st 2010 @ 6:23am | Report comment
wheres Figi ? they must have some good rugby players if we keep poaching them.
Bob said | March 20th 2010 @ 11:59am | Report comment
He’s looking good because the Reds forwards have been going so well. Don’t think the Wallabies forwards will be giving him so much space against the Boks and ABs.
Working Class Rugger said | March 20th 2010 @ 12:59pm | Report comment
Considering both the Tahs and Brumbies packs are probably stronger than the pack he plays with at Queensland there a good chance the Wallaby pack will be able to replicate the same situation.
Peter K said | March 20th 2010 @ 2:45pm | Report comment
I totally agree with Kafer.
Gits has never been a great 10 , at best a good one.
Gits however was the best 12 in the world.
Cooper is putting players into space really well, running to the line etc. He has improved his passing so he can pass both sides.
I hate to say steddie eddie was right but a few years ago before they burst onto the scene he said Cooper was better than Beale. Very true.
Will said | March 20th 2010 @ 3:35pm | Report comment
It’s spelt Fiji. Go back to school pom
Rockin Rod said | March 20th 2010 @ 3:42pm | Report comment
How will cooper go in French Rugby???
Bondiplage said | March 21st 2010 @ 1:17am | Report comment
Rod’s comments bring up a series of What ifs. What if Cooper continues to star and gets the nod at 5/8 for the June tests, and Deano plays Gits next to him at 12, but Gits hasn’t played there internationally for so long that he flubs the job? And what if he continues to struggle in the Tri-Ns, and Cooper continues to star at 5/8 and also kicks penalties?
Right now Oz rugby has a wealth of talented centres, and if one of them clicks with Cooper and makes the breaks that have eluded Giteau, what does Deano do with Matt? Play him at 13 and bump Iaone? Doubtful. Put him on the wing? Hard to see him displacing Hynes, and if Mitch keeps scoring tries….
I believe Sheek has a list of great players who weren’t a good fit for one reason or another and were benched. It’s certainly happened before, it could – repeat could – happen again.
Rockin Rod said | March 21st 2010 @ 6:05am | Report comment
On last nights performance Barnes will be playing alot of Shute Shield for the students this year whilst Cooper and Gits play for the Wallabies. Is that the first time he had been hooked with the game in the balance???
Justin said | March 21st 2010 @ 7:50am | Report comment
The Barnes lovers will keep blaming his team for him not performing. A team that sits in 4th place!
Rockin Rod said | March 21st 2010 @ 7:14pm | Report comment
http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-union/union-news/burke-hails-new-gregan-and-larkham-20100320-qn2l.html