Former England World Cup winning coach Clive Woodward says the decision to leave Quade Cooper out of the Wallabies squad “beggars belief”.
Australian coach Robbie Deans confirmed on the weekend Cooper wouldn’t be one of the six additions to his squad to play the British and Irish Lions in the upcoming three-Test series.
“It is an own goal that has handed the Lions a trump card and just emphasises again how modern coaching – aligned with this obsession with `team ethic’ – has sidelined the more maverick characters,” Woodward wrote in British tabloid the Daily Mail on Monday.
“The Lions did not want to face him (Cooper) and they have got their wish.”
Woodward said Australia was in for a huge battle and needed Cooper’s “x-factor” at fly-half with James O’Connor on the wing and Kurtley Beale at fullback.
“That this will not happen is a true shame for fans but brilliant news for the Lions,” he wrote.
The backline trio of Beale, Digby Ioane and Pat McCabe were among the final six players added to Deans’ 31-man squad on Monday.
Western Force powerhouse Hugh McMeniman will also jostle for a position while the two final places went to Brumbies bolters Scott Sio and Peter Kimlin.
Cooper was reportedly attacked at a Brisbane hotel on Sunday afternoon just hours after being told he would not be part of the squad.
ANON69
Guest
Why are you surprised even David Campese the legend would not have made Deans team, the way this guy is giving excuses for QC Omission. Pathetic.
Galgano
Guest
Sage
Guest
I really hope you're right Malo. I'd much prefer to flog the Lions than have you looking like a tool and reassesing your own logic
Sluggy
Roar Guru
This is a key point. Genia often assumes the game management role, & drives the Reds around the park, and gives the ball to Cooper when the time is right, Cooper has to learn to manage the game, rather than trying to organise a try every play - and giving up so many turn overs as a result.
Colin N
Guest
I've always regarded Woodward as a pretty bold selector. Selecting Wilkinson as a 19-year-old, selecting Neil Back when everyone thought he was 'too small' to play Test rugby, picking Charlie Hodgson as a 21-year-old and playing him in the centre. Then he picked Ollie Smith as a youngster, James Simpson-Daniel etc etc. And as Martin Johnson said in his autobiography, Woodward was always willing to try something different off the field, whether it would be in the preparation or something else. The fact that the 2003 team was 'old' was because it was a team which had been successful over a period of time, a team that Woodward built.
AndyS
Guest
Big call, given the record. Maybe what the anti-Quade brigade should be worrying about is that they lose without him, would have regardless (as they generally have), but then create the illusion of indispensibility. Along the lines that they lost in the RWC, didn't play SNK, therefore he would have been the key that would have turned it...
Malo
Guest
Red keg and the red brigade are going to look silly when we flog the Lions and they have to reassess their logic and QCs importance
Sprigs
Guest
Woodward is right of course. Captain Quade Cooper came reasonably close to masterminding a defeat of the Lions, and that was even more impressive because he was behind a pack that was dominated by the opposition. Two tries to one. The Lions were lucky it rained on the savannah.
handles
Guest
Reds fans, and Bob Dwyer, Eddie Jones, Stirling Mortlock, Mark Ella, David Lord, Warren Gatland, etc.
Scot Free
Guest
I'll second that vote.
Gali
Guest
Im gonna laugh so hard when the wallabies Thrash The Lions and I know they will to. Get ready for some Awsome rugby from the Wallabies come first Test.
handles
Guest
My vote for least informed comment of the year.
Dan
Guest
"Additionally, being quite familiar with the type of Rugby Woodward favours, I’m quite certain he himself would never select Quade Cooper if he were given the role of Wallaby coach." Spot on. Very conservative. But I think he's just giving an honest answer to a question here. I've never believed in Clive as a mind games man - he's too weird for that.
Rugby Fan
Roar Guru
Actually, Woodward did not welcome players who questioned his authority. He dropped Richard Cockerill (the current Leicester coach) after he criticized Woodward. Cockerill never played for England again. Woodward also said in 2001 that he would have sent Matt Dawson home for his tour diary indiscretions.
Dan
Guest
As an Englishman, I have to say you must be on a wind-up here. Farrell's not a Test fly half in a million years.
Machiavelli
Guest
And how many titles have they won and how many finals have they made. A piddley ONE and very unlikely to win this one .Its time to ditch the red glasses and get real!
Machiavelli
Guest
Give it a rest. Deans knows far more about winning, nuturing and developing flyhalves, and playing hard nosed winning rugby than pretender Ewan does!
Simon_Sez
Roar Guru
KiwiDave, a paranoid conclusion, Cooper is very good he just isn't the best 10 in the country, so why pick him. Would the ABs play Cooper...I don't think so! In fact who would the ABs pick from the Australian backs to have in their team? Will Genia, James O'Connor, maybe Israel Folau, but only on the bench.
Simon_Sez
Roar Guru
JOC, the joke could be on me, but I am confident the selectors know what they are doing, just wait and see it could be very exciting to watch. Matt Toomua, he is very good and he seems to be maturing with time and space; he reminds me a lot like a young Dan Carter.
Simon_Sez
Roar Guru
AdamS, let's see how JOC goes running off Will Genia, I think we will all sit up and be pleasantly surprised, even when the forward pack is going backwards on skates.