Much has been written about Quade Cooper’s performances of late, stemming from a clearly poor game on the weekend but stretching back to the start of the World Cup and probably the start of the international season.
Here he was, a man who mesmerised during the Super Rugby season.
A man for all occasions who could play with audacious courage (kicking across behind his own goal line), or switch to cool authority the next (beating the Stormers in SA).
Sure his tackling wasn’t great, but here he was; at last a man to ignite the potentially potent Wallaby backline.
However, things haven’t gone quite that way. With each game he seems to be getting less and less effective.
It isn’t for lack of effort, he still tries to make things happen, but they don’t seem to work.
In fact, like quicksand, the harder he tries to extract himself the deeper into the funk he seems to sink.
In my experience, talent doesn’t just disappear. So if you take that stand point we then have to look and ask why? Is it the media beat-up that is ‘QC Public enemy no.1’? I don’t think so because he has never seemed like one to get too bothered about what people think of him.
Is the pressure of RWC getting too him? Again I don’t think so as pressure didn’t bother him during Super Rugby.
Is it the platform delivered by the forwards? I think that has something to do with it. Anyone playing the game knows that without winning the battle up front your backs are going to struggle. You only need to look at the last Tri Nations game between Australia and New Zealand.
Maybe for the first time in his NZ career Dan Carter, the world’s best 10 was playing behind a losing pack (at least for 40 minutes).
In that game Carter certainly struggled and in my view Cooper was the better 10 that night. That said even then Carter was much more assured than Cooper was against the Springboks. So what else is there?
In my view the largest contributor is Wallaby selection. For the Reds, Cooper has a player at 12 who offered much more variety in their play.
By playing Pat McCabe at 12, the only option he provides in attack is good hard straight running.
Professional players and teams are not going to have much concern about this. A simple one on one tackle will stop it everytime.
This gives the opposition the luxury of applying extra pressure on Cooper. By rushing him and outside McCabe they cut down his stepping time and the ability for the long pass, his other strength.
His only option then is to pass to McCabe who will do what he does which is run a very simple line that is easily stopped.
This is also why the inside passes to Digby Ioane and co. have not had the same potentcy as before. They have become the most likely option and therefore the defense focus on it knowing no real questions will be asked elsewhere.
Now before Mrs McCabe reads this I must declare my appreciation for Pat and what he does. He gets given a job to shutdown the opposition in defense with big hits and run as hard as possible to the tryline when he has the ball, come what may.
He does this with no thought of his own preservation. It is not Pat who is the problem, it is the role they want a 12 to play that concerns me.
If they play Barnes at 12 they will lose some of the dominance in those tackles. Barnes doesn’t miss many though and he always goes low bring the man down immediately, thus bringing David ‘The Thing’ Pocock into play.
On attack you get a calming influence, a good field and goal kicker, a good distributor and swerver more than an out an out stepper.
It also gives Cooper the chance to step back, allowing Barnes to take 1st receiver duties on occasion where he can then survey the line and find the chink in the armour.
Lastly having a player at 12 who can pass on occasion will mean getting the ball to runners like Adam Ashley-Cooper, James O’Connor, Kurtley Beale and Ioane on the outside, running at defenses one on one rather than trying to get through the crowd on the inside ball.
Do this and the Wallaby backline could be unlocked.
jim
Guest
How many times has someone not expected a pass from him or over run the ball.
fred
Guest
They need to switch onto what he is doing then they will be super
Pillock
Roar Rookie
Absolutely spot on. Watch Cooper at Super 15 and he doesn't even want the ball until the 3rd or 4th phase, you see him telling Genia to keep the forwards punching it up. That did not happen against SA however Wallabies did it really well against AB at Suncorp. If the wallabies can keep within a converted try until the last 10 minutes use the bench, shuffle whoever is fit, get some quality ball and let Cooper Genia Barnes O'Connor rip and see what happens. Then you could really see what the AB are made of. Hope if it pans out that way.
Sage
Guest
As much as he tried to embrace the "enemy no1" tag it obviously has got to him. I suppose running out in front of your countrymen in the land of your birth and being not only booed but with the spitefullness involved, it has shaken him as much as he would say otherwsie. He is a very easy target. Ex Kiwi wearing gold. A bit of niggle with Richie and unfortunately his retaliation being less subtle and seen and emblazoned across everyones TV screen. NOBODY does that to an All Blacks Captain so let the unfettered hatrid and vitriole spew forth. The previously admired rugby public of an admired rugby nation have really let themselves down with this. He had a shocker on Sunday and he will have more along the way but he is a very talented Rugby player and if the AB's think he will play just the same next Sunday, then that is fine with me. That's the headspace I would like them to be in. Especially if the Duck waddles on !! Imagine if a Cooper performance is a deciding factor in the upcoming AB's loss. The karmic irony would be something to cherish, this side of the ditch anyway.
cm
Guest
Good article. As I posted in another thread on the Roar yesterday: Before the match, it seemed to me that the key to beating the Saffers was to hold the line for the first 40minutes or so, then cut loose. I therfore wanted Barnes at 10 for 50-60 minutes before being replaced by Cooper. As it happened, I wanted Cooper hooked for Barnes after 30 minutes. At half time, when it was obvious McCabe was struggling and had inflicted the maxiumum amount of damage on the Saffers that he could, I wanted him replaced with Barnes. Instead, McCabe had to have the crap knocked out of him for another 11 minutes or so before Barnes came on. I really rate the Cooper/Barnes combination, as Barnes seems to have a calming influence on Cooper. And Cooper has not handled the pressure at all well during the RWC so, if his genius his deemed to be so important to the team, I believe Barnes should be an automatic co-selection … if he’s not picked at No. 10 ahead of Cooper. Today's evolving thought relates to the possibbility that Kurtley Beale might not play, raising the possibility that Deans might choose Cooper at 15 ... piffle! People forget that full-back is the last line of defence, and that that role is the foundation. Without that, you can forget your attacking options from your 15. If Kurtley can't play, I'd put Adam Two-Dads there, put Quade at 10, BB at 12 and Ant Fainga at 13 (assuming Horne's not fit), with Lachie Turner on the bench.
Sage
Guest
Sorry Johnno. Once you wrote "I'd rather have Donald" your lost all credibility
Peter Breckenridge
Roar Guru
I think you are on the right track here. I am a big McCabe fan and his presence against the Boks really contributed to shutting them down. I would like to see Barnes get a shot, especially with the disruptions at 10 the ABs have to deal with. My only concern is how we shut down Nonu. McCabe did it in Brisbane, can Barnes have the same impact? Interestingly, i think McCabe should play 13, but would I drop AAC? Probably not. His defence on Sunday was also good, though not in the same way as McCabe and he offers more in attack, well he would if he touched the ball (did he touch it at all on Sunday?) and we don't kick it away. One other thing that contributed to Cooper's issues seemed to be the game plan. I understand the kicking think in a RWC 1/4 final and that Cooper has been able to play to a similar plan at the Reds, but something seemed to be confusing not just Cooper but the others as well. Cooper looked to unsure as to whether he should run or kick. I think this contributed to his bad decision taking and poor kicking display. Losing 5 lineouts, some in good attacking territory didn't help either. This would have meant some fast shuffling between Cooper and Ioane to go from attack to defence. Players like Cooper, tend to have these periods of poor play. Think David Campese (and I am in no way saying Cooper is as good as DC), he had the ability to turn a game in an instant. And not necessarily in favour of the team he ways playing for! What i am hoping is that Cooper to a greater extent the other supporting Wallabies re-watch the game and realise how they can better support him. I think this weekend Cooper, irrespective of who plays inside him, will have a big game. He is sure due one.
Bearfax
Guest
Quade is brilliant but like all great distributing backs he needs some room to manouver. Other sides have woken up to this and rush him. Perhaps having Barnes at centre and interchanging the two during the match may offset that problem given Barnes is a more composed player. But also the forwards must ensure players like Genia and Cooper have room to create their magic. Any Rugby League team around would pay a fortune for Genia, Cooper and Barnes not to forget the briliant Beale and O'Connor.
Johnno
Guest
I would prefer cipriani than cooper if he was an option. He kicks better tactical kicking is a chocker but better under pressure than quad far more accurate passer, and defence even cipriani is better than quad on D. I would prefer cruden over both those 2 and he is a chocker to. i would even prefer slade or donald to cooper and they ar both chokers. i have never seen any of those 4 5/8 play as badly as quad on the weekend. It reminded me of the classic high school rugby atittude when, 1 team plays a big team and gets psyched out coz there are 5 massive guys on the other team, and they get all scared and just assume coz they are big and look mean then they must be tough or good at rugby. Flat track bullies like Timani and Ali williams would of loved to have had a shot at quad on the weekend, there sought of game to look tough and rattle a guy like quad. Well quade your in the adult world now drop the high school attitude to your game mate, otherwise you will be playing park football if you play like that again. Way to soft.
Rhino
Guest
Cooper is neither the symptom or disease. He's the cure. Get him some good quick ball this Sunday and watch out. I too want to commend Pat McCabe for a brave effort last weekend but I still think we're missing opportunities without Barnes at 12. I think is low tackling style is perfect for taking down Nonu. Also, not that he was on for long but Ant Faingaa is some really good things at back end of game. One really strong run and some smart defensive work as always. Haven't seen anyone talking him up so I'll go first.
sheek
Guest
Mark Ella was a Wallaby for 5 years - 1980 to 84 - but only in his final year did he have a solid forwards foundation to work off. And then didn't we see his magic in all its glory, instead of the 5 loaves & 2 fishes tricks he would try to conjure up in the preceding years. He showed his appreciation to the forwards by scoring a try in every one of the 4 grand slam tests in Britain & Ireland. So point one is this - it doesn't matter how brilliant your backs are, if you can't get your forwards to lay a consistently solid platform up front. Another thing is Ella didn't try to create tries off every play. He read the game, & bided his time, waiting for the right opportunity. He had such a keen instinct that he knew intuitively better than most, the right opportunity to pass, or run, or kick, or whatever. So the second point is this - exercise patience & be prepared to mix your game up. Keep the opposition guessing. At present, the Wallaby forwards are failing to provide their talented back line with a solid foundation. And Cooper is trying to do something off almost every ball he receives, which is simply suicidal. To answer your question - Cooper is both. He is a symptom of his forwards & the disease of himself.
Johnno
Guest
Massive symptom of the disease.
Tonto
Guest
Its all about the forwards, you cant play running rugby without at least parity in the forwards- Austrlaia get away with it a little with Pocock as he assists with the cleanout but he is just one man and we know what happens when he is not there.