Ten years in the Wallaby jersey for 94 Test caps and 27 Test tries – you would think with facts and figures like that we would be talking about a true Wallaby legend.
We are not though, we are talking about Adam Ashley-Cooper.
One of the unsung heroes of world rugby, certainly one of the most underrated players in the game, and from all accounts a decent bloke.
Why is it that a guy who has consistently been good, perhaps without being consistently excellent, over such a long period of time doesn’t appear to get the plaudits he deserves?
Ever since Ashley-Cooper debuted for the Wallabies against the Springboks in Perth in 2005, either on the wing or at centre, he has delivered consistently high-quality performances. His reading of the game is up there with the best, his defence is sound, particularly given his relatively small stature as an international centre, and his ability to make line breaks cannot be questioned.
Perhaps it’s his consistency and low error count that set his game apart however. Coaches know what they will get with Ashley-Cooper, a dependable player who will make his tackles, set his outsides up, buy into team culture, and never let his side down.
But perhaps that is not giving the guy enough credit.
Ashley-Cooper is one of the better outside centre line breakers in the game. He is a bit Conrad Smith-esque in the way his size actually plays into his hands, Ashley-Cooper’s ability to run a line and pick a hole in the defence with the grace of a gazelle is up there with the best in the business.
Why is he so underrated? Ask any rugby aficionado around the world who their top three or even five international centres are and you are unlikey to hear Ashley-Cooper’s name.
When rugby people speak of great modern Australian centres they mention the names Jason Little and Dan Herbert, even Stirling Mortlock, but not Ashley-Cooper. Isn’t that a little unfair for a guy who is closing in on his 100th cap for his country?
Throughout Ashley-Cooper’s time in the Wallabies, he has always been overshadowed by more illustrious teammates, the likes of George Gregan, Stephen Larkham, George Smith, Will Genia, Quade Cooper, Kurtley Beale, Israel Folau or James O’Connor. When you consider what he has given the Wallaby jersey over the past decade, surely his name deserves to be ranked higher than some of the aforementioned?
Perhaps Ashley-Cooper has paid the price for being in a Wallaby era that one could only ever describe as average, never having held the Bledisloe Cup, only once the Tri-Nation, and always also-rans to the All Blacks.
One thing that certainly sets him apart is his likeability. He seems a thoroughly decent bloke, and when unfortunately Wallaby players haven’t always been just that, this can only be a good thing.
Perhaps he isn’t one of the top three centres in the world, perhaps he isnt a superstar and perhaps he will never be a Wallaby great, but he is utterly dependable and will always do a job for his side.
For a player who has done that for close to 100 Tests for his country, he deserves more respect and kudos than he currently gets.
Jackson Perry
Roar Rookie
Whole heartedly agree, they dont call him Mr Consistent for nothing. His ability to read the play on both a team and personal level is up there with the best. It also seems as if, he has gotten better with age, almost matured as a player and would not be surprised if he is called up for a cpatancy role in the near Wallabies and Waratahs future.
Charging Rhino
Roar Guru
As an SA fan he's one of the few international players that would be my 1st choice pick for the Bok 13 jersey over our local options, if he was available to us.....
Red Kev
Roar Guru
I suggest you tune back into reality and actually watch Waratahs and Wallaby matches and how AAC runs his lines.
soapit
Guest
find it hard to explain myself. i know he was solid in all his games and was a great leader (albeit with a few other around him to help) but i suppose he didnt have enough brilliance in himself to really capture the imagination (whether because he didnt have to make any plays or he couldnt), had a perceived weakness in his pass (though always accurate) and a bit annoying/embarrassing at the same time (compared to say whittaker). i guess although he was always there performing well enough we had quite a few others at the same time doing better (eales et al) so when he did dip a little he didnt have the big plays in the bank to be able to fall back on in peoples memories.
BOP
Guest
I think we typically regard greats of the game as having mastery of one position and being the best in that position over a sustained period of time. As mentioned above, AAC has donned jerseys 11 - 15 for Australia over his 94 tests. By contrast, Conrad Smith has pretty much owned the AB 13 jersey for his 77 tests, so no comparison really. The other thing is that, coupled with longevity, greats of the game can do things on the field that fans wonder at. They bring something special to the game. Whether it be personality, attitude or outrageous skill, a great of the game is inspirational and memorable.
Mick Gold Coast QLD
Roar Guru
Me too - I don't "understand the game peoples", after all these years. I see, Hoy, that a centre now has a rather more limited range of tasks than ever before. In attempting to better "Learn the game peoples" I now find I am somewhat distracted by the
Does that typically come with ham and salad or vegemite alone?Justin3
Guest
Geez Conrad walks on water! He isnt that good to making stupid comments like the one above.
Mick Gold Coast QLD
Roar Guru
I missed the end of that because I fell on the floor laughing hysterically when I got to "Carter or ..."
Mick Gold Coast QLD
Roar Guru
Soapit’s comment says plenty about Soapit, and nothing at all about Mike. :) (The nong has attempted to infect me too, soapit)
frisky
Guest
He should have got a yellow card for each one. That makes it a red card.
JB
Guest
Harsh EP, It's like rating Carlos spencer over Dan Carter, Carlos has a great highlight reel but Carter just does the Job week in and week out. If you have 15 guys in your side that execute like carter or cooper you will very very rarely lose.
Edward Pye
Roar Guru
The NZ centers you named there are excellent passers - Nonu in particular is famed for his long cut out pass. The point, really, is not what a centers role is (that can change depending on the skills of the player) the point is that AAC is a limited player. Good at what he does, but he will never be viewed as a great because he is limited.
Edward Pye
Roar Guru
I'd say given all his plaudits and his general lack of dynamism (bar his first season and a double tackle a couple of seasons ago) he is more over-rated than underrated.
Hoy
Roar Guru
I obviously don't understand the game, because I would have thought a Centres role is to create opportunities for his outside finishers. I would prefer a centre who can do both; Line run, and create for his outside. Whilst line breaking is a wonderful attribute, it matters little if you die with the ball when there are open players in better positions...
Lord Bledisloe
Guest
Obviously not as good as the real thing bit just similar in that he goes about his work and gets the job done. I'm a huge fan of Conrad Smith, the bloke cant put a foot wrong.
soapit
Guest
and yes i have seen all those players pass well. they didnt neglect this important part of the game despite being able to bust the line because they know if they do bust through it theres likely to be a 2 on 1 or 3 on 2 that could be put away for a try.
soapit
Guest
they gonna draft him into their cricket team and have him win the ashes for them?
soapit
Guest
i dont think its too much to ask to have our wallaby centre have more then one string to his bow. there will be many times when a 13 has to pass in a game. tho fewer than the times he has to run to be sure, this just creates greater emphasis on their ability to execute the situation to its maximum when the opportunities arise (often try scoring situations). obviously none of this negates the need for your centre to be able to truck it up regularly
soapit
Guest
his primary job is to turn up to the game imo. after that i suppose finding his winger is one of the important non-primary jobs for a 13 (assuming we think wingers are still used as finishers by modern teams) but why are we talking about primary jobs anyway? john never mentioned it. is it just to give us a framework to excuse aac's passing shortcomings?
soapit
Guest
if you see these shortcomings but are regularly unable to convince anyone else of their existence what do you think that says of the quality of your analysis? my recent favourite was when you tried to claim there was no way a try would have been scored if AAC hadnt buggered up that 2 on 1 v france. AAC. good runner (great runner early in his career and this year, went soft for a few years due to lack of competition) very good defender (is a big hit or two away from being great) poor distribution (ok this year only)