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Adam Ashley-Cooper: The world's most underrated player?

Roar Guru
21st July, 2014
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Adam Ashley-Cooper will play his 100th Test against the All Blacks. (Photo: Paul Barkley/LookPro)
Roar Guru
21st July, 2014
142
3317 Reads

Ten years in the Wallaby jersey for 94 Test caps and 27 Test tries – you would think with facts and figures like that we would be talking about a true Wallaby legend.

We are not though, we are talking about Adam Ashley-Cooper.

One of the unsung heroes of world rugby, certainly one of the most underrated players in the game, and from all accounts a decent bloke.

Why is it that a guy who has consistently been good, perhaps without being consistently excellent, over such a long period of time doesn’t appear to get the plaudits he deserves?

Ever since Ashley-Cooper debuted for the Wallabies against the Springboks in Perth in 2005, either on the wing or at centre, he has delivered consistently high-quality performances. His reading of the game is up there with the best, his defence is sound, particularly given his relatively small stature as an international centre, and his ability to make line breaks cannot be questioned.

Perhaps it’s his consistency and low error count that set his game apart however. Coaches know what they will get with Ashley-Cooper, a dependable player who will make his tackles, set his outsides up, buy into team culture, and never let his side down.

But perhaps that is not giving the guy enough credit.

Ashley-Cooper is one of the better outside centre line breakers in the game. He is a bit Conrad Smith-esque in the way his size actually plays into his hands, Ashley-Cooper’s ability to run a line and pick a hole in the defence with the grace of a gazelle is up there with the best in the business.

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Why is he so underrated? Ask any rugby aficionado around the world who their top three or even five international centres are and you are unlikey to hear Ashley-Cooper’s name.

When rugby people speak of great modern Australian centres they mention the names Jason Little and Dan Herbert, even Stirling Mortlock, but not Ashley-Cooper. Isn’t that a little unfair for a guy who is closing in on his 100th cap for his country?

Throughout Ashley-Cooper’s time in the Wallabies, he has always been overshadowed by more illustrious teammates, the likes of George Gregan, Stephen Larkham, George Smith, Will Genia, Quade Cooper, Kurtley Beale, Israel Folau or James O’Connor. When you consider what he has given the Wallaby jersey over the past decade, surely his name deserves to be ranked higher than some of the aforementioned?

Perhaps Ashley-Cooper has paid the price for being in a Wallaby era that one could only ever describe as average, never having held the Bledisloe Cup, only once the Tri-Nation, and always also-rans to the All Blacks.

One thing that certainly sets him apart is his likeability. He seems a thoroughly decent bloke, and when unfortunately Wallaby players haven’t always been just that, this can only be a good thing.

Perhaps he isn’t one of the top three centres in the world, perhaps he isnt a superstar and perhaps he will never be a Wallaby great, but he is utterly dependable and will always do a job for his side.

For a player who has done that for close to 100 Tests for his country, he deserves more respect and kudos than he currently gets.

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