This really is Quade Cooper's last chance

Agreed. When a wallabies b-side loses to Scotland it's 100% robbie deans fault. When a reds a-side repeatedly loose to the force (the scotland of super rugby) not one person blames Mckenzie.

The problem with the "minor facts" is that they don't really match to reality that well. A key to the Reds success over the last few years has been versatility in their game plan. In 2011 they had success in South Africa with strong forward play with a good kicking game from the halves. Against teams like the Bulls they have played with great width concentrating on retaining the ball, in New Zealand forward pick and drives have been the key with use of runners on inside angles from the number 9 or 10. For the Reds Cooper has adapted to each of those game plans. As to his play an international level the Wallabies win more games, sore more tries and concede fewer tries when Cooper is playing as opposed to paying without him. It defies rational thought to suggest including a defensive liability in the team will result in few tries scored against that team - yet that must be the case if WRC's is correct. Again it is beyond belief that Cooper lacks ability at international level, yet somehow the team performs better when he is in it. What happens do the other 14 players, realising what a terrible liability Cooper is, lift their performance dramatically to compensate for him? The notion is a nonsense. But being realistic his best chance of playing for the Wallabies is after Deans goes.

Well said!!

Dave another well written and thoughtful contribution. Perhaps one day the standards to which QC is held will become the international unit of player performance measurement. A flawless performance with the players team victorious would achieve a QC score of 100. The same performance in a losing team would drop to 50 QC's and if the player is perfect yet kicks out on the full he would drop to a score of 7 QC's.

And it amplifies that the Cooper hate is personal, not so much about his game. People just loathe him and can't see beyond that. I like R Deans, I just don't think he is the right coach. There is a difference.

I said this on another thread and I'll say it again. Unless there's 3 or 4 key injuries, there’s no chance of Cooper being in the squad anyhow. The ARU is demanding that Deans picks Folau no matter what, and Deans can’t possibly play both because of the defence issues it’d create. This stuff about Cooper not being able to defend at 10 is purely a red herring designed to cover up the real issue at hand. Larkham, Carter, Merhtens and most 10s, for that matter, don’t (or didn’t) defend at 10.

Morning John, You have misinterpreted my post as an affront to you directly. What I was hinting at is another possible advantage of having Folau on the wing, should the availability of Cooper provide a decent kicking avenue. "Is that the only way QC knows how to set up a try in the 22 ?" I suggest you review the 2011 season for evidence of Cooper's influence. I think you're being a bit simplistic about what Quade potentially brings to the table. Given his implosion at the RWC and questionable behaviour I too would prefer another option but the fact of the matter is that the Wallabies are not exactly spoilt for choice. Toomua and Folau are promising and CL, my preference, hasn't even been playing pivot for his franchise. I remain unconvinced that Beale's return is appropriate and I'm not sure about JOC's potential value being outweighed by his utility value in the back 3. But I think the real question you may wish to consider is if any of these provide a distribution game that will allow those outside them to flourish. Add in Cooper's established combination with the little general and surely his consideration becomes logical. It's not about what you and I think; it's about what's best for the Wallabies.

WRM, Great moniker mate. My understanding was that Nic elected to have surgery after his selection in that training group resulted in stagnation. My point is that for me he is clearly the next best and merited further development and investment. OJ was saying the other day that the Wallabies' failure to create a creditable back up for Genia would have provided additional impact and lessened the burden on the little general and I agree.

Morning KPM, Have you ever wondered how what we refer to now as mistaken selections during that period usually resulted in the replacement being of Crusader origin?

From an outsider's point of view, and not blinded by all the anti-Deans hate speech that has dogged the man since (and prior to) the squad list release, I think Deans has every right to pick his side of choice. I remember the manner in which he was vilified after dropping Andrew Merhtens for a certain Daniel Carter. I dare say he came awfully close to getting himself chucked out of Canterbury for behaviour unbecoming! Let the man pick his squad and allow him to exercise his vision for Australian rugby as he sees it.....after all, it is his professional and intellectual integrity that is at stake and most of his more critics can hardly be labelled as unbiased and having nothing to gain from Deans' dismissal. He built and established a national scrum that is now the envy of the world, yet a few years back, it was a joke in rugby how the 4th XV scrum at Stellenbosch University in South Africa would totally dessimate the Wallaby pack on any given weekend (or week day, for that matter). I believe that it is his right to make decisions based on what he percieves to be exemplary conduct for a man whose experience and qualities make him a team leader and role model for aspiring Wallaby players. Lest we forget, with Globalisation of sport and the high profile these players now enjoy the world over, kids from as far afield as Zimbabwe, Cote d' Ivoire, Tahiti etc, will emulate after watching his on-field play the most inconspicuous movements and see him as a demi-god......it then follows, that his off- field misdemeanours will be reported on social networks within moments of commission right around the world. As a man, Cooper ought to realise that Deans is probably doing him the greatest favour any decent human could ever do for another man by showing him how unacceptable and self destructive his behaviour has been. We have all seen how people indulged heroes like Paul Gascoigne, Maradonna, George Best etc, only to see them sink after their usefulness to us is done. I personally enjoy him when he is at his best and really would love to see him around for many more years to come. And this is why I urge you, with A GENUINE LOVE FOR RUGBY UNION to urge Cooper to come to his senses and take his place as a leader.....not only of his Reds and Wallaby team mates, but also of those countless thousands of future superstars watching him at home, school common rooms and reading about him in magazines, and watching him for guidance in their future endeavours.. THABO MOYO, PLUMTREE, ZIMBABWE.

The Lions must be loving this circus. Essentially we don't have the alround fly half they have in Sexton. There is a flaw of some kind in all our candidates.

Lordy, BERNARD, BERNARD, BERNARD Foley !

HAHAHA James, where do you get your stats from?

Great post, well written Dave.

Is there anything in them all leaving now ted is gone? Do they not like Hanson?

If cooper is so useless why has it taken deans 38 tests to figure it out? Surely the messiah would have picked this up pretty quickly?

The rebels pack actually get on the front foot a lot. They are pretty good outside the set piece

Brilliant? That's breathtaking...

He coached the same amount of international teams as deans had prior to being wallaby coach...

Yep got toweled up alright ,,,,,,,,,, by one point and probably unlucky to lose.