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There’s no point in Michael Hooper buying a lotto ticket this week, he’s already used up all his luck in London overnight.
The IRB’s independent citing commissioner Steve Hinds from New Zealand charged Hooper under law 10.4 (h) – “Charging into a ruck or maul without use of the arms or grasping a player” – for his hit on England fullback Mike Brown at Twickenham last weekend.
Hooper faced a minimum two-week suspension if a guilty verdict was handed down at the low range, five weeks for mid-range, and 10 or more weeks for high range. He pleaded guilty, so that he’d miss the final pool game against Wales at the weekend, and the quarter-final.
But the IRB’s independent judicial officer – Canadian Alan Hudson – took Hooper’s guilty plea into account, plus his good character, and no off-field misdemeanours, and cut the minimum two weeks in half.
Damn lucky for a stupid kamikaze-type clean out.
Wallabies coach Michael Cheika now faces an intriguing selection problem. Does he promote the very talented openside flanker Sean McMahon from the grandstand to the starting line-up against Wales and leave Scott Fardy at No.6, and David Pocock at No.8?
Or does he move Pocock to 7, leave Fardy at 6, and promote Ben McCalman to 8?
The first alternative appeals the most.
Cometh the hour, cometh the man, and this situation is tailor-made for the strapping 21-year-old McMahon and his 186-centimetre, 107-kilogram frame. He’s bigger than Hooper’s 182 centimetres and 97 kilograms, and hits harder.
More importantly, Pocock is playing so magnificently at No.8 that he’s heading for man of the tournament to join David Campese in 1991 and Tim Horan in 1999, when the Wallabies won their two World Cups.
Besides, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Why make two changes when one will do very nicely?
Apart from the enforced change the pack is settled with:
1. Scott Sio
2. Stephen Moore (c)
3. Sekope Kepu
4. Kane Douglas
5. Rob Simmons
6. Scott Fardy
7. Sean McMahon
8. David Pocock
But there’s some serious doubt about champion fullback Israel Folau’s ankle and winger Rob Horne’s shoulder. With inside centre Matt Giteau suffering from a sternum injury, there could be three enforced changes in the backline which could look like this:
9. Will Genia
10. Bernard Foley
11. Drew Mitchell
12. Matt Toomua
13. Tevita Kuridrani
14. Adam Ashley-Cooper
15. Kurtley Beale
While the bench would look like the following:
16. Tatafu Polota-Nau
17. James Slipper
18. Greg Holmes
19. Dean Mumm
20. Ben McCalman
21. Nick Phipps
22. Quade Cooper
23. Joe Tomane
Even with the revamping the Wallabies will still be very strong and must beat Wales.
Losing is not an option.