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Quade Cooper’s fellow Wallabies have leapt to his defence after former All Blacks coach Graham Henry called him the team’s “glaring weakness” at last year’s World Cup.
In his recently released biography The Final Word, Henry said: “Quade Cooper was plainly the weakest link. Coach Robbie Deans had taken him out of the front line … because he was a suspect tackler. He doesn’t lack heart but defending is not his area of strength.”
The ex-coach said dropping New Zealand-born Cooper back weakened Australia’s back three in both a positional sense and for kicks in the air.
But Cooper’s teammates rebuffed suggestions they would be reluctant to play beside him.
Winger Drew Mitchell said the flyhalf had proven himself to his teammates and that was all that mattered.
“They’re the ones you want to convince, and when times get tough you want to make sure the bloke you’re playing next to knows you can do the job,” he said.
Mitchell added that players weren’t motivated to get the blessing of an opposition coach.
Fullback Adam Ashley-Cooper said Cooper was a player with great ability.
“Playing with him is always exciting. There’s a lot of unpredictability around his game,” Ashley-Cooper said.
New Zealand-born Cooper had a difficult run in 2011 where he bore the brunt of Kiwi hostility at the Rugby World Cup.
Henry led the All Blacks to win the world crown, and his book’s release coincides with Cooper’s return to the Wallabies after suffering a season-ending knee injury during the bronze medal final and other complications along the way.
Wallabies Coach Robbie Deans was unimpressed with Henry’s attack.
“I haven’t read his book,” he said.
“Quade’s in the squad, he’s returning to the game, he’s working hard at that. He’s a bloke that’s played fairly in the past and he will in the future.”
And it seems the squad’s refusal to take Henry’s bait has trickled down to the man in question himself.
Last night Cooper tweeted to over 600,000 followers: “Determination to succeed against all the odds = attitude.”
© AAP 2013The Crowd Says (324) | Page 1 of Comments
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- All Blacks, Graham Henry, Quade Cooper, Rugby Union, Super Rugby
August 9th 2012 @ 2:52am
Johnno said | August 9th 2012 @ 2:52am | Report comment
Funny this. It just doesn’t make sense.
-Grahame Henry is right, Quade cooper is a poor defender at test and super rugby level. The wallaby coach in reality agrees with him. that is why he puts him to fullback when the wallabies are on defence.
-And Deans in his selections eg Pat Mcabe, A. Faianga , prides himself supposedly on players who are committed in D and can tackle,.
-And Deans himself was very public after an England test in 2009 or 2010 that they lost at twickenham,. He was very harsh on quad cooper and said he would not pick quad cooper in the future if his defence doesn’t improve.
-Funny how they defence him when sir graham puts the boot in, too funny, . As you actually agree with him Dingo Deans, and so do his Quade’s wallaby teammates im sure.
August 9th 2012 @ 4:51am
Kane said | August 9th 2012 @ 4:51am | Report comment
Fully agree with you and Ted here, it was plainly obvious to every one that the All Blacks were targeting him and that it was working. Each time they kicked to him he would be smashed taking the catch as he had terrible timing with the jump which ended up putting him off his game more so. I wish people would stop attacking Ted for stating the truth. Would Australia prefer Ted to hail Quade as one of the worlds greatest defenders? What he said was absolutely correct, he doesn’t lack heart he just has some laughable technique and it reflects bad on Deans for not fixing this but trying to hide it. He thought hiding him in defence fixed the problem yet it gave the All Blacks a weakness to exploit, a weakness they exploited for all it was worth.
I think the real question here isn’t has Quade improved his defence but has Deans improved his coaching? My money based on recent performances is no.
August 9th 2012 @ 12:20pm
Denby said | August 9th 2012 @ 12:20pm | Report comment
Fully agree Kane & Johnno
Mo so, has Deans improved his selection policy and his use of the bench.
Quade should have been pulled before half time.
August 9th 2012 @ 4:48am
King of the Gorgonites said | August 9th 2012 @ 4:48am | Report comment
Quade will prove the doubters wrong. I have faith in his genius. Qc and Barnes as my 10/12 combo.
August 9th 2012 @ 10:47am
stillmissit said | August 9th 2012 @ 10:47am | Report comment
Ah! kingy – faith without facts – don’t you just love that?
August 10th 2012 @ 12:42am
all7days said | August 10th 2012 @ 12:42am | Report comment
Faith can only exist without facts
August 9th 2012 @ 11:44am
luke21 said | August 9th 2012 @ 11:44am | Report comment
quade cooper beerick barnes vs dan carter and sbw. /I know who will win that battle
August 9th 2012 @ 12:29pm
Rob from Brumby Country said | August 9th 2012 @ 12:29pm | Report comment
I hope you’re right, KotG, unfortunately I do not have your faith.
August 9th 2012 @ 5:43am
mania said | August 9th 2012 @ 5:43am | Report comment
of course AAC and drewMitchell are going to come out and support him publicly but what they think would have to be totally different. is anything henry said untrue? AAC and mitchell would have to be blind not to realise the truth of henry’s words.
must say tho that i’m gonna get me a copy of henry’s book. sounds like a real good read.
August 9th 2012 @ 8:45am
Sam Taulelei said | August 9th 2012 @ 8:45am | Report comment
Just downloaded it on my iPad much cheaper @$14.99 than bookstore retail if $45.00.
So far standard biography fare recalling his early coaching at school.
August 9th 2012 @ 9:02am
mania said | August 9th 2012 @ 9:02am | Report comment
let me know how it goes sam. i’m gonna buy it for my father inlaw and read it 1st
August 9th 2012 @ 9:22am
Damien said | August 9th 2012 @ 9:22am | Report comment
‘buy it for my father inlaw and read it 1st’
What type of gift is that ?
Just mucking round Mania. LOL..
August 9th 2012 @ 9:44am
mania said | August 9th 2012 @ 9:44am | Report comment
lol damien – like all the other books i’ve bought him. last one was ‘a rugby genius’ – andrew mehrtens
August 9th 2012 @ 11:08am
winston said | August 9th 2012 @ 11:08am | Report comment
He was also rubish on defence.
August 9th 2012 @ 11:00am
Brett McKay said | August 9th 2012 @ 11:00am | Report comment
I was going to say something about this too Mania! I’ll at least let them unwrap before I tell them I want to read it!!
August 9th 2012 @ 11:03am
mania said | August 9th 2012 @ 11:03am | Report comment
its the gift that gives twice
August 9th 2012 @ 11:06am
Brett McKay said | August 9th 2012 @ 11:06am | Report comment
Do you make it known you’ve read it first, or do you maintain the silence until they’re done??
August 9th 2012 @ 11:07am
mania said | August 9th 2012 @ 11:07am | Report comment
bm – deny deny deny
August 9th 2012 @ 11:43am
Brett McKay said | August 9th 2012 @ 11:43am | Report comment
so this:
Recipient: “Hey Mania, this is a great book – did you know Henry reckons Cooper is the Wallabies weak link?”
Mania: “Had no idea, that is a surprsing revelation that I had no prior knowledge of…”
August 9th 2012 @ 11:46am
mania said | August 9th 2012 @ 11:46am | Report comment
yeah basically BM. it was hard trying not to pipe up about the cullen book “life on the run”
August 10th 2012 @ 9:59am
The Other Steve - and All Black fan said | August 10th 2012 @ 9:59am | Report comment
Just did the same Sam.
And it will be the first rugby book i’ve ever read.
August 9th 2012 @ 6:12am
Viscount Crouchback said | August 9th 2012 @ 6:12am | Report comment
Yet more oh so dignified behaviour from Henry. Can’t he just be happy finally to have won the World Cup instead of settling scores left, right and centre like a Sicilian mafioso?
The man makes Sir Alex Ferguson look like a paragon of Corinthian virtue.
August 9th 2012 @ 6:17am
mania said | August 9th 2012 @ 6:17am | Report comment
VC – you realise that these are excerpts out of his book? this is his thoughts on his career leading up to and including the WC.
i note you dont challenge the validity of his claims. isnt it ok to speak ones mind ? is henry actually lying? no where in this entire article or replies from roarers has anyone said that its untrue.
August 9th 2012 @ 3:10pm
AndyS said | August 9th 2012 @ 3:10pm | Report comment
He is neither lying or telling the truth…it is an opinion you either agree with or disagree with. It is no more factual or otherwise than claims that the ABs choked for 20 years – it is merely a point of view that can be argued either way but never definitively proven. The story is entirely in who expressed the opinion. If it was JO’N or Rassie Erasmus that publicly called for more RWC in NZ so that the ABs can have a reasonable chance of winning again, would that just be shrugged off?
August 9th 2012 @ 6:25am
Darwin Stubbie said | August 9th 2012 @ 6:25am | Report comment
When are some on here going to realize these are small parts of a bio written by a journo with his co-operation … Let’s not hope then that he touches on the lions tour or his time at Wales or heaven forbid his inside mutterings on when he coached the blues …
Slow bloody news day when we get fillers like this and AAC’s take on what the wallabies need to do to beat the ABs
August 9th 2012 @ 6:46am
p.Tah said | August 9th 2012 @ 6:46am | Report comment
I’m with you VC.
August 9th 2012 @ 10:43am
Riccardo said | August 9th 2012 @ 10:43am | Report comment
As one who is used to titles Viscount, may I respectfully suggest you use Sir Graham’s correct handle.
Given your feeble attempts at Elitism one would expect that it behoves you to do so.
Seriously, for someone who appears to be quite literate your myopic and sullen outbursts do you no favours.
Unsubstantiated and peurile…
August 9th 2012 @ 11:46am
luke21 said | August 9th 2012 @ 11:46am | Report comment
don’t u get it all ex coaches players become harsh crirics thats the way it is
August 9th 2012 @ 6:27am
Geoff Brisbane said | August 9th 2012 @ 6:27am | Report comment
Comes down to truth and again how the punters choose to believe it majority of us know its true and acknowledge the fact that QC then was a weak link.Can’t whinge about it just move on
August 9th 2012 @ 7:54am
AussieKiwi said | August 9th 2012 @ 7:54am | Report comment
I find these comments from Henry to be mean spirited. If reported accurately they are quite cruel. It reminds me of how he publicly said that QC deserved the treatment he got during the world cup. Even if the comments are a small part of the total narrative, he would have known they would have been highly publicised. Whatever his coaching skills (which I think are overrated) he is not an impressive man. I can’t imagine Dingo (or any other coach) singling out an opposition player and publicly describing him as a “glaring weakness” in the team.
August 9th 2012 @ 7:58am
mania said | August 9th 2012 @ 7:58am | Report comment
aussiekiwi – would u prefered for him to lie? cruel, mean spirited? u do realise this is a contact sport played by grown ups?
u think thats bad i bet there’s heaps more in his book.
yes he’s over rated. WC, triNations, bledisloe, several grandslams, 85% winning record. the guy could’ve done better and had an 86% winning record.
August 9th 2012 @ 8:05am
Justin2 said | August 9th 2012 @ 8:05am | Report comment
I was going to write a long retort to the article but really who gives a shut what he thinks except his nz followers?
It’s a nothing story and I would have preferred the Aussies to completely ignore it.
August 9th 2012 @ 8:17am
AussieKiwi said | August 9th 2012 @ 8:17am | Report comment
Overrated as a coach – yes, I think most decent coaches could have got those results with the players he had. He badly mishandled selections in the WC (and previously) and got away with it IMO. We could debate that one all day.
Whether it is a contact sport or not (I do appreciate the nature of the game) is not to the point. I wouldn’t expect him to lie. But there is a level of common courtesy most people would observe even in writing books. LIke I said, I can’t imagine too many other coaches singling out opposition players and describing them as “glaring weaknesses”. Particularly a current player. It seems unecessary and vindictive. I guess its difficult to be absolute without reading the book and understanding the full context, which is why I qualified my comments.
August 9th 2012 @ 8:21am
mania said | August 9th 2012 @ 8:21am | Report comment
fair nuff then AK. u shouldnt read his book then
August 9th 2012 @ 9:58am
guinness14 said | August 9th 2012 @ 9:58am | Report comment
M you are right on the money. GH has just stated a fact, cleary out there for every one to see. And of course the Wallabie fans are going to get behind QC and defend him, like all good loyal supporters should. But I can not believe how he has slipped down the ladder so quickly. When not too long ago there fans were putting him in the same class as DC, now that blew my mind. If any thing I reckon QC will take hold of this and work hard, train hard. Well I hope so. I am no fan of Coop’s, but good luck to him. Be a man and just show GH how wrong his statement is. AB, Crusaders and Western Force supporter.
August 9th 2012 @ 10:12am
Justin2 said | August 9th 2012 @ 10:12am | Report comment
No he has stated an opinion.
August 9th 2012 @ 3:40pm
snowman said | August 9th 2012 @ 3:40pm | Report comment
Irish stout 14 – Based on what you said at the end of your email – would I be right in thinking you also have some Ref experience and are known by another name beginning with “P”.
August 9th 2012 @ 1:22pm
Damo said | August 9th 2012 @ 1:22pm | Report comment
Mania, you are missing the point – this has absolutely nothing to do with ‘lying’.
No-one is saying the great knight should lie. Just that some thoughts should be kept inside his churlish mind.
I agree with Aussie Kiwi- Henry did not need to have another swipe at an individual player, neither in this book nor ater the game that NZ won against Australia. The world champion booers had done enough to slander him.
Henry, and anyone defending this further example of his headmasrterly ‘square up’ , are out of line IMHO.
August 9th 2012 @ 2:07pm
Kuruki said | August 9th 2012 @ 2:07pm | Report comment
What is the point of writing a biography if you are only going to tell people what they want to hear? Pointless. Some people just need to harden up and get outside of the cotton wool they are wrapped in. Geez Henry has probably been harsher to his own players in the sheds then anything he has said about Cooper.
August 9th 2012 @ 2:24pm
Xiedazhou said | August 9th 2012 @ 2:24pm | Report comment
Henry has always come across as a churlish and rather embittered man. Even his much lauded (in some quarters) coaching focussed on cynical ways to exploit the existing interpretation of the laws of the game. Whilst his supporters may say this was smart, some think some of his initiatives (eg blocking/screening in both defence and attack) were against the spirit of the game.
Having adopted a win at all cost mentality, and finally winning a world Cup, one would imagine that Henry would feel somewhat satisfied with his lot. However his continued outbursts of bile and bitterness show that he is truly an unhappy man. He is to be pitied. It seems that nothing, not his success as a coach, nor the adoration of his fans can be balm to his tortured mind.
August 9th 2012 @ 3:14pm
Riccardo said | August 9th 2012 @ 3:14pm | Report comment
Absolutely Xie.
Your source? Stephen Jones? Greg Crowden then? Maybe Bob Dwyer? Who’s secret handle is “some”?
What a load of unsubstantiated self-serving hypocritical garbage.
I’ll concede that the All Blacks, most New Zealand teams in fact, look for advantage within the laws of the game, whether or not your screening accusation has merit but so does every other decent team on the planet.
The Wallabies’ “much lauded” Pocock, who IS an oustanding openside, likes to spread those big thighs of his and rest his knees on prone players which gives the appearance he is on is feet while he pilfers illegally. Is this cynical advantage within the “spirit of the game”.
“Having adopted a win at all cost mentality…” Really? Henry must be the only coach in the professional era that wants to win then?
Get a grip.
August 9th 2012 @ 3:39pm
Justin2 said | August 9th 2012 @ 3:39pm | Report comment
The old Pocock defence….
August 9th 2012 @ 4:48pm
ohtani's jacket said | August 9th 2012 @ 4:48pm | Report comment
Well, that was a rather churlish and embittered post. Henry often comes across as smug and he’s been a bit cocky of late, but if he were as tormented as you claim I’d expect something a little more bitter than “we targeted Cooper’s positional switch to fullback.” You certainly know how to get worked up, though.
August 9th 2012 @ 6:07pm
nik said | August 9th 2012 @ 6:07pm | Report comment
Fair enough comment about Deans but, to be fair, I don’t recall Henry ever saying that QC “deserved” the treatment he got, it was more along the lines of he thought that he had brought a lot of it on himself.
August 9th 2012 @ 8:05am
The Expert said | August 9th 2012 @ 8:05am | Report comment
Henry was the weak link in his team ,come on he wins a scatchy world cup in nz and its like he thinks hes god now
Who would read his book
The all blacks main advantage was bryce lawrence helping the boks stay outta that semi !!!!
The wallabies lucky to be in game and also gave everything to beat boks ,just to let the roar readers know henry spent a decade trying to win gallagher shield in auckland club rugby with a strong club and failed as he was close to last year
August 9th 2012 @ 9:37am
Bono said | August 9th 2012 @ 9:37am | Report comment
I am sick of the Henry being overrated comments. Go back to your cave loser cos you know nothing about rugby. Belittling his wc win and conveniently forgetting his 87% success rate is just a joke from angry jealous dingo fans.
What most people forget is Henry was left with a squad in 08 that was arguably as weak as the wallabies at the time, with all the players that left after 07, and built the team up to the standard that they are now. The same applies to 04 when he took over an average AB team and transformed them into a bloody good one.
Remember what the man also did to the blues in 03?
August 9th 2012 @ 11:36am
Dexter William said | August 9th 2012 @ 11:36am | Report comment
He coached the Lions and lost to WB …
August 9th 2012 @ 11:04am
guinness14 said | August 9th 2012 @ 11:04am | Report comment
Cheers T EX. I have never been a GH fan. Think about it, what do you say to guys like Richie, DC Brad Thorn and the rest of the team. Richie has always defended his coach, like all good players should. When the AB’s were playing badly, the NZ public gave GH a lot of shit. Good old Richie had his say and said, at the end of the day it is the team on the paddock, not the coach that is out there playing he 80minutes. AB Crusaders and Western Force supporter.
August 9th 2012 @ 11:05am
Brett McKay said | August 9th 2012 @ 11:05am | Report comment
wow…
August 9th 2012 @ 8:07am
The Expert said | August 9th 2012 @ 8:07am | Report comment
Go Back and win the auckland club comp,what you shouldve allready done before advancing
August 9th 2012 @ 8:13am
Johnno said | August 9th 2012 @ 8:13am | Report comment
heheh funny he upgraded and won a super rugby tittle with the blues instead the expert.
August 9th 2012 @ 1:43pm
Kane said | August 9th 2012 @ 1:43pm | Report comment
Go back to school and learn basic english before posting
August 9th 2012 @ 8:12am
The Expert said | August 9th 2012 @ 8:12am | Report comment
He is over rated mania
Hes got the best team to coach to start with before you start his stats
The Expert has a keen eye for good coaches and this guy is ordinary
August 9th 2012 @ 8:15am
mania said | August 9th 2012 @ 8:15am | Report comment
what BS expert. how long has it been since the AB’s won the WC? 20 years worth of coaches couldnt do it before him including deans. you are far from an expert
August 9th 2012 @ 9:26am
formeropenside said | August 9th 2012 @ 9:26am | Report comment
But how many other NZ coaches got a second chance like Henry did?
August 9th 2012 @ 10:38am
winston said | August 9th 2012 @ 10:38am | Report comment
Better AB teams have lost the world cup.
August 9th 2012 @ 1:43pm
Kane said | August 9th 2012 @ 1:43pm | Report comment
State the better coaches that are out there then?
August 9th 2012 @ 2:00pm
Riccardo said | August 9th 2012 @ 2:00pm | Report comment
I’m gonna anticipate this one Kane.
Drum roll please… It’s Peter De Villiers, who happens to be the Expert’s Dad!
It explains a lot really
August 9th 2012 @ 2:06pm
Kane said | August 9th 2012 @ 2:06pm | Report comment
Haha well played.
August 9th 2012 @ 8:18pm
Justin2 said | August 9th 2012 @ 8:18pm | Report comment
The same guy who won 5 of 11 v Henry and had 5 of 11 at home
August 9th 2012 @ 8:17am
RebelRanger said | August 9th 2012 @ 8:17am | Report comment
People need to calm down. Quade Cooper can’t tackle, this is from Graham Henry’s book where he’s talking about his most significant achievement. It’s not like some reporter heard him say this at the supermarket. He’s detailing his tactics. Most people these days are overly PC and would rather read “We’re not underestimating our opposition, they are strong in all areas and we’ll have to be on top of our game” which is ridiculous as this cliche response can apply to any sport. What’s wrong with saying you believe Quades defense is a liability? It proved to be true. If that’s mean spirited I’ve wasted my life supporting a pansy sport.