Poor combination cost Quade, says O'Connor

He was pretty clearly going out there to niggle McCaw, happychap - that's what I meant by his MO. None of it was particularly serious, but it was obviously a planned tactic of his.

I know what an MO is Jerry. I go on to explain how Coopers actions are the very opposite of an MO in my second sentence. These were a couple of isolated incidents, not something Cooper did to all and sundry every opportunity he had. Not a modus operandi in the slightest. And to answer your question; no, I personally don't see it as all that bad that Cooper got booed a few times. I do however wholeheartedly disagree with the reasons behind it. But tell me, what was your reaction when Cooper went down in what was clearly a serious kneee injury? Did you explode in raptures of delight like the vast majority of the live crowd?

zhenry, When you are capable of putting together a coherent post, please let us know. You obviously don't like to be told the truth, but that is not my problem. If you want to defend the malicious behaviour indulged in by certain sections of the New Zealand public against Quade Cooper, go right ahead. Just don't expect to be taken seriously. (and no, I don't generally read the SMH).

Get back to your SMH and twist the language to suit your own bias and get paid for it. Denigration after denigration, I am God, no reasons or cogent argument ever. Coop[er was warned by AU ex players to lay off, I mean heading to a WC in NZ and here he is so obviously taking shots at RM. We had some really intelligent comments on here about the QC/RM fiasco and now weeks later SMH Mike wants to reinvent the whole issue according to his generalities and bias. The response of the NZ crowd was no less than what the AU crowd (esp the QLD) were willing Cooper to do and I have no time for NZers on here who are willing to be bullied into appeasement by the likes of 'dumper I take no responsibility iMike (I will return a some denigration thankyou). If the tables had been turned RM would not even have got a cheer as he walked off injured. Thank you lucky stars Cooper got that.

Sorry Hoy I have been unable to access the net so am only just responding. I am not blaming Cooper for the losses, however I am not prepared to blame his poor performances on anybody else either. When Carter has a bad game, or any of the other Top number 10's in the world for that matter, they get singled out for their performance not every body around them. Why then should Cooper be any different? I think that my assessment of Cooper under the intense pressure of Test Rugby is fair. I certainly remember Carlos Spencer being given plenty because of his brilliance at Super Rugby and his failings at Test level. I cant see this as any different really. Time will tell if Cooper can become a World class number 10, but going by his World Cup performance there is plenty to work on.

Mike, you seem to know a lot about New Zealanders.... " Those people wanted him to not play for Australia, because they were irked by the idea that a New Zealander might be instrumental in the defeat of the All Blacks" Mate, you're delusional. Nobody cares that he's a NZer Hes not the first, and won't be the last NZer to play for the WBs. I remember the NZ Maori's playing the WB in the early 2000's when there were 5 Maori's in the front rows. And please tell me what my beef with gatland is suppoed to be. Comments on the Roar from time to time? ...sorry but yes, I missed them

MO = modus operandi or 'mode of operation'. Get off our high horse, eh? Well, I did actually say it was an over-reaction on the part of the NZ rugby public. But if you wanna talk about getting off your high horse, in the grand scheme of things is it really that bad that a rugby player got booed at a few rugby matches? If anything I'd say the po-faced sanctimony and hypocrisy coming out of Australia is even more of an over-reaction.

Hoy, very very well said. All the Quade bashing is painfully annoying. He's a 23 year old with amazing talent. People seem to forget that the great 10s of recent history had done no more or even less that Quade has at the same age.

His MO Jerry? Cooper giving McCaw a bit of his own medicine a couple of times does not equal a sustained campaign. He merely had the temerity to 1. back himself against the man those in the Shaky Isles see as God, and 2. steadfastly refuse to toe the black line of indignation and apologise. If only some of you more delicate Kiwi's could come down from your moral high horse for a moment you'd see this.

I was actually nit-picking this bit " In other words, its what they desperately want to believe, as it galls them that an Australian fly-half has kiwi heritage." I honestly don't think his Kiwi heritage has a thing to do with they way he's perceived, I think it's largely due to his own actions. James O'Connor has Kiwi heritage, is just as talented and infinitely more mockable with his Bieber haircut and horrible advertisements. But he doesn't get much stick? No, cause he doesn't act like a dick on the pitch. Cooper acted like a dick and then, after having an off-season to consider whether it was prudent or reasonable behavior, decided to act like an even bigger dick. There's been plenty of occasions where a guy did something fairly dickish on the pitch, but they're usually one-offs, whereas Cooper decided it was gonna be his MO vs the AB's. So NZ rugby fans turned against him. Now, if you wanna argue it was an over-reaction, then there's probably something to that. And you can argue it's cause they saw the Wallabies as the main thing standing in the way of a WC win, there's probably some merit in that too. There was a lot of emotion in NZ rugby fandom this season and Cooper's dickish behavior was something of a lightning rod for that, but I don't think his heritage was relevant even slightly. And personally, I think "A poor Carlos Spencer" is an entirely apt description of Cooper, though he's not as poor a version as he used to be.

AF kills McC in attack, he can actually pass and be a key ingredient in a set piece move.

Cooper didn't "play up" his public enemy status, he just refused to accept that it was justified. Nor should have have done so. The people who dubbed him "public enemy" were not worthy of the least respect. "A lot of people were – rightly or wrongly – irked by that and let him know about it." Rubbish. Those people wanted him to not play for Australia, because they were irked by the idea that a New Zealander might be instrumental in the defeat of the All Blacks, and because they wanted their team to win at any cost. Its just the sort of people they are. "If his play was affected by being booed, then he won’t last too long." In the longer term, I agree. However, the malicious and despicable behaviour of certain sections of the New Zealand public during this RWC was exceptional. I don't blame Cooper for being affected by it during this tournament, provided he can rise above it in future. "And who the hell dislikes Gatland for coaching Wales? I don’t ever recall meeting one Kiwi who has disliked Henry, Hansen, Kirwan, Deans, Gatland or any other Kiwi coach plying their trade overseas." Then you need to get out more. There are even comments on the Roar to this effect from time to time. I don't see how you could have missed them. "Your post has a slight wiff of sour grapes about it." Not at all. That's just what you want to believe. "Of course, not all Aussie cricket fans are like that – just as not all All Black fans booed poor little Quadey – but in your world, I guess it’s okay to tar all people with the same brush." Nice try Snobby. I have repeatedly made clear that my comments are directed at the minority of kiwi fans who indulged in this behaviour.

Cattledog, Firstly, you are correct, I am not convinced that McCabe is one-dimensional player. I think Johnno is on the right track when he looks at the role McCabe was required to play in this world cup. Secondly, I don't think Johnno in his defence of McCabe was really arguing "what the Wallabies need are a pack of one dimensional players." Thirdly, I do think aggression in attack and defence is an important quality and the Wallabies are somewhat lacking in it compared to other top international sides, so it doesn't do any harm to praise those players who can display it at international level.

Jerry, Please stop wasting my time with your desperate attempts to nit-pick. No-one has ever denied that there is some sort of comparison between QC and CS (just as there is some sort of comparison between him and other former players, for that matter). The comparison with Carlos Spencer was made by Mike (NZ) in order to bolster his argument that Cooper "displayed mental weakness at the highest level". As I wrote above, the jury is out for me on that one. I want to see how Cooper can perform after the malicious sledging he recieved from sections of the New Zealand public who were determined to ensure a win for their team by hook or by crook, i.e. people for whom the win is more important than the game. No-one is denying that there are similarities between QC and CS (as there are for QC and other former players) nor that QC admired him (and other former players) growing up etc etc. You are trying to distract attention away from my post, to which the Carlos Spencer issue was only incidental. But you'd rather nit-pick on that than deal with the substantive issues.

Cattledog I think for now in some ways Mcabe is 1 dmisnesional but in other ways, I will disagree because not every player is exceptional in many areas. I would ague Qaud cooper is 1 dimensional like danny cipriani, they supposedly have good pass and i would debate that as well. I don't think Qaude cooper reads a game of high pressure test rugby well, and same with danny cipriani. Quade runs terrible angles seems to not control or read a game for rugby union well. Maybe Quade Cooper, maybe a better player suited to rugby league for his skill set who knows. But you could in many ways call Pat Mcabe the 3rd Faianaga twin unofficially. They are so strikingly similar players at least what they have shown, but i think Pat Mcabe is a bit Mentally stronger. Barnes is not the answer at 12, his defence he can tackle but as rod kafer pointed out with video evidence on the rugby club, his tackles do not stop momentum of opposing team, and they get quick re cycled ball straight away. Where as pat mace teckling technique he hits harder wraps the playe ron the deck and it take the player longer to reclyce ball, and basically foams a maul thus achieving the goal of killing of attacking momentum. Looking to 2015 , next year in 2012 we should trial Rob Horne who can tackle but has more ball skills than mace and deans tried him and he did well vs russia, Ben Tapui (he tackled SBW in super 15 final and did well he has a bit of a go and is deceptively physical and strong for a guy his size) Pat Delliot (Big) Mike harris (Big guy) Even cam shepard has making for potential I/C and im sure there will be bolters and emerging players coming through at I/C option Even scott higgenbotham could be handy I/C as size seems ot be in right now for I/C. Higgers run hard and fast. JOC to is an option he his very strong for his height, but i think JOC is better suited to 5/8 or fullback long term. And Pat Mcabe never played a match for aussies at I/C where his team was on the front foot always playing behind beaten forwad pack. ANd who hard can it be for Qaude to pass to a centre that hits the line hard and straight.

Johnno, still difficult to decipher your posts. However, as you seem to have pointed out, Pat McCabe, not real smart but lifts heavy weights. Sorry, the Wallabies DON'T need players like that. They need players who can attack, defend, think on their feet and work combinations with others. Clearly, McCabe was exceptional in one aspect of the above. Anyway, let's see what 2012 brings. There may be some surprises.

You obviously don't think McCabe's one dimensional, I do. Let's leave it there.

N.O N.O.T A.N.T.H.O.N.Y E.V.E.R. A.G.A.I.N.

Mike, what a load of BS. Cooper played up his "public enemy" status, almost revelled in it. A lot of people were - rightly or wrongly - irked by that and let him know about it. If his play was affected by being booed, then he won't last too long. He's just lucky it wasn't a Sth African player he targetted with his cheap shots - you think the reception in NZ was bad; that'd be nothing compared to the reception the Saffa's would give him. And who the hell dislikes Gatland for coaching Wales? I don't ever recall meeting one Kiwi who has disliked Henry, Hansen, Kirwan, Deans, Gatland or any other Kiwi coach plying their trade overseas. It'll only make them better coaches who, hopefully, will bring their enhanced skills back to NZ. Your post has a slight wiff of sour grapes about it. Maybe when you talk abouit "natural behaviour of soccer hooligans", you should think more about, well, countries that actually DO have soccer hooligans who do a hell of a lot worse than boo a player - or maybe closer to home, the great Aussie cricket fans who racially abuse Indian, Pakistani and Sri Lankan players or those who use to revel in the "Hadlee's a wanker" chant to show their class and sportsmanship. Of course, not all Aussie cricket fans are like that - just as not all All Black fans booed poor little Quadey - but in your world, I guess it's okay to tar all people with the same brush.

Cattledog, having a fear of failure is one thing. How it affects you is another, which is what Johnno seem to have been referring to. I may be wrong, but I didn't read Johnno's post as calling for one-dimensional players, as pointing out that certain qualities are more important than others, and Australia tends to be more deficient in some than others.