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There was one quote this week that didn’t get the attention it deserved while others were over-analysed to exhaustion.
Let’s concentrate on the encouraging one, given to a former colleague of mine, Jamie Pandaram.
“When they make selections [for South Africa], I hope I’m in the mix,” big second-rower Kane Douglas said. “It feels good representing your country, when the national anthem came on I was getting tingles.
“Sometimes I have to stop myself and say, ‘I played for the Wallabies on the weekend’.
“It’s pretty good running out with Nathan Sharpe and the boys. I play footy to play alongside all the boys, I don’t want to disappoint anyone.
“My motivation is not wanting to let anyone down, I want to play well for them.”
Only those without a soul, even us non Australians, could fail to be stirred by those words.
A young man’s keenness to impress, the pride in his country and, it has to be said, the apparent lack of ‘a toxic environment’ that allowed Douglas to express himself this way. All sentiments backed in an interview with Will Genia in the Sydney Morning Herald today.
It’s hard to reconcile this with the erratic, confusing and – at times – depressing messages coming from Quade Cooper this week.
Searching for winners from it all is a fruitless task. There have been none. Not Cooper, not Robbie Deans and certainly not Ewen McKenzie. The conspiracy theorists need to settle down and return to the moon landings.
Perhaps all will be explained in a pay TV interview with Cooper on Thursday night. It is a last chance to choose the path of reconciliation rather than self-justification or self-immolation.
He is so far over the line of professional behaviour that even natural allies are wavering. His boss at the Reds is fed up and John Connolly – no fan of the ARU – believes his conduct is unacceptable.
Cooper will certainly be in friendly territory on Fox Sports. Matching some of the commentary from the Fox Sports broadcasts with what has been happening on the pitch has been a challenging proposition.
There should be no problem with former Wallabies greats talking up the side – it’s a sports broadcast, not a foreign correspondent’s report – but some of the latitude given to Cooper isn’t offered to other players. Fans notice if the playing field does not appear to be even.
Regardless, from a purely rugby perspective it has become clear that over the past 18 months he has become a player rival coaches actually like plotting against.
His game was unpicked by the Irish at the Rugby World Cup – first identifying his frailty under the high ball and then grabbing an intercept from a miracle pass – and it has not been stitched together since.
There was no more telling moment in the Gold Coast Test than the second the cameras went to the Argentina box after Cooper had knocked on a bouncing ball.
In the corner Graham Henry could be seen firing off a few words towards the small screen on which they view instant replays. He had seen it all before under different employers but the repeats seemed to be giving as much pleasure.
It’s also why Argentina kept trying to hit the more difficult back of the lineout ball with the game in the balance. An accurate throw opens up the No.9-No.10 channel to attack and they had some success – Cooper charging out of the line to put a shot on the No.12 and bouncing off as Argentina ploughed forward.
He is not alone. Two weeks ago the Springboks successfully ran Frans Steyn against Aaron Cruden and made inroads.
Cruden has found the going tough in the past two Tests and his place in the 22 is under threat from Beauden Barrett. It is not because Steve Hansen can’t coach or the All Blacks won’t let him have fun like at the Chiefs.
Frankly, Test rugby is brutal. That’s why so few make it, and even those that do might be chewed up and spat out.
Cooper’s outbursts carry the anger and frustration of a player who has been found out and can’t yet find the solution. If he is trying to find it in Super Rugby he is looking in the wrong place.
Still, debate about a player’s merits will always be subjective. He has failed a much simpler test. While the Wallabies were preparing for a brutal examination in hostile territory, a teammate was spraying accusations from the comfort of home. The complaints could have held. The issues would still be there in a fortnight.
Australia needed a lot more Douglas this week and much, much less Cooper.
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.