The Wallabies’ highest-profile casualty from their Dublin drinking capers, Adam Ashley-Cooper, admits Ewen McKenzie’s hard-line punishment needed to happen.
Now stunned to be appointed vice-captain to play France, Ashley-Cooper was among six players stood down in November after a night of boozing in the Irish capital four days before a Test.
At the time, the popular utility back was ropeable, with his mother relaying his dismay on Brisbane radio that he hadn’t done anything different to any other mid-week tour outing in his 91-Test career.
But Ashley-Cooper now looks back at the episode and the controversial one-match suspension as a necessary shake-up of team standards that has improved Wallaby culture.
“It was certainly something that was a learning experience at the time, and something that really needed to happen,” he told AAP.
“What was evident and clear was that Ewen was wanting to make change to the team and change for the better because the reality was we hadn’t achieved anything great for the last decade.
“Something had to change and that was just the catalyst or start of change and we all had to deal with it.
“Me personally, I dealt with it as well and was all for it. From then on we got on with the work and got on with what we needed to do.
“It was clear how we had to get on with things.”
Despite the disruption to the Spring Tour, with 15 players affected – including nine reprimanded – the Wallabies won their Tests against Ireland, Scotland and Wales to finish the year with four straight wins.
Ashley-Cooper’s sanction, along with fellow stalwarts Benn Robinson and Tatafu Polota-Nau, raised eyebrows as he’d been outspoken against the continued misbehaviour of James O’Connor and Kurtley Beale before McKenzie replaced Robbie Deans.
“That was an end of an era where we were at as a team,” he said. “That’s been put aside now and settled a lot.
“We’re starting to build a winning culture with four in a row.
“I think that will transfer into the French series and we’ll pick up where we left off.”
McKenzie showed this week he’s been quick to move on from the incident, naming Ashley-Cooper as deputy to new captain Stephen Moore.
“I was absolutely surprised,” the 30-year-old said.
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