Quade Cooper to be unveiled by Toulon

egaleJack, Dave made a number of points in support of Cooper. You addressed none of those and only offered up a re-hash of previous criticisms. I suppose you could either a) get upset with me for point that out or b) actually make some kind of contribution. Personally I think b) would have been the much better option, but here we are.

Who was the forward who flopped on Cooper, over the sideline and after the whistle and produced the damaged collar bone?

Not Bothered, Go back to the selection debates in 2014. When everyone was calling for Toomua to sub for the injured Cooper, I was one of the few people saying no, must be Foley. Fact. I have nothing against Foley. Top bloke and he is giving everything he has got. Fact. Will be cheering him to have a blinder this morning. Fact. Goal kicking aside however, he is an inferior player to Cooper. Actually, post knee injury, I would say Foley has the superior running game - by that I mean taking half gaps. As to the flick pass watch the replay. Two SA defenders. The outside was covering TK and Horne. Cooper saw this immediately. If he drew and pass TK would have been tackled around the 22 metres line, or Horne would have been shuffled into touch. So Cooper feigned a drift to do what 100% of every other play would have done if not kicking. He then took the line for the gap he creates. The outside man comes in. Drawing and passing is then impossible. So he goes hard as if to take the hole himself. He has therefore totally committed both SA defenders, leaving 2 wallaby outside backs entirely unmarked. He then proceeds to throw the flick pass. TK was shocked and as confused as the SA defenders. You are correct, nobody else would or COULD do that. Its why I watch rugby to see such bold play. Had TK been awake to it, try time, and is on Wallaby highlight reels into the future. Oh and Cheika agreed and blamed TK post match FYI. Name the game Cooper played worse than Foley did vs Scotland. List the errors in this mythical match. Coopers first game at no.10 vs England he was MOTM. We couldn't win a scrum all night. Actually conceded 2 penalty tries. We won that match purely off his audacious play, which included two tries. Let me repeat. Our forwards were manhandled but he got us a win. That what I consider great. Its not my intention by any means to put Foley down. Just that he be judged by the same criteria. You accuse Cooper supporters of the very ignorance you display time and again.

In terms of turning the turnstiles, more than 250k people follow QC on Facebook. Bernard has about 1550 fans. It will be a lean year for the Reds; plenty of Brisbane club players will get their chance in the big time. I predict <5000 will attend the games. Club footy is looking better value.

You have nothing against Foley? Well saying hes only had one good for Australia is absurd and would never be said by anyone that didnt have an agenda against Foley because of the extreme bias needed to even suggest such a thing. Foleys game against England was better than anything QC had ever produced at 10 for Australia imo and Foley has never played as poorly as QC has for Australia. Exactly where did I say that you said QCs card was a good thing? I just noticed you tried to portray it as something required, as if he was doing the right thing and thought I would remind you of what actially hapened. And paaaalease, dont tell me about perspective because you are completely devoid of it.

Heres my opinion about the rabid QC supporters. It can all be explained by the round the back flick pass to Kuridrani inside his 22. There was an overlap and QC flicked the ball behind his back to Kuridrani who dropped it. To the QC fan it was Kuridranis fault and QC was too good for both teams. If only Kuridrani was good enough to take that pass... The truth imo is much different to this opinion and it is a great demonstration of why QC has had a rocky international career. All QC had to do was draw and pass but he tried a low % play inside his own 22 that put pressure on Kuridrani and ultimately himself and the Wallaby team for no valid reason. Now if it comes off, QC supporters think that is just the sh! t, brilliant, outstanding. "QC really knows how to get the backline going". Now imagine that Foley just draws and passes in the same scenario, Kuridrani runs off down the line. What do the same QC supporters think? "Meh, he just passesd to the guy outside him". Imo QC has never played as well as Foley has for Australia, Foley was better than QC had ever been when he played against England in this WC. Although QC was very good on the eout in 2013, imo much of what QC supporters love about QC was fluff and his true influence on his team was nowhere near as good as they imagine.

Ah not bothered, living up to the name I see. Where did I say the yellow was good thing? He was trying to save a try and its a very fine margin. It happens. Knock him for the Argentina match yellow by all means which was just lazy, but when Hooper decides to run solo into the all black forwards without support, and 5 other wallabies miss tackles from the resulting turnover, don't blast the guy who worked his way back in a desperate attempt to prevent a try which would have blown the game open. Use perspective. Foley had a great game vs England. Prior to that he had a solid performance vs France in Brisbane in 2014, and played his heart out against NZ in the Brisbane loss. A match in which he missed two tackles that resulted in tries - including the winning one. No problems. It happens. He was average at best vs Fiji, tackled well but created nothing vs Wales, terrible aside from the outstanding kick vs Scotland, and played a solid game vs Argentina. Hardly stellar performances that the press releases would have us believe. Remember before the Uruguay match Kafers comments about Toomua? Obviously Foley couldn't have been going that great if there was talk of him being replaced by a guy who hadn't played 10 for Australia for 2 years... By the way, I have nothing against Foley. The guy gives it his all which is all you can ask.

They are all international players that have played at a higher level than Super Rugby. Many have played and excelled at Super Rugby and International level. You would know this if you had watched it or knew anything about it tbh. Toulons Ma'afu, Giteau, Smith, Habana, Mitchell, JOC, Vermeulen and Nonu would never be able to handle Super Rugby.

Who would blame Liam Gill for trying his luck overseas. The fact that selectors as well as strong competition in his position means he is very unlikely to get 60 caps if he stays for another 5 years. But wouldn't you love to be able to pick him. Certainly won't lose anything in ability.

Foley has been motm for Australia multiple times. Hello, the real world calling, come join us. To say Foley has only played 1 good game for Australia is absurd but not as absurd as suggesting QC should be leading the team tonight. And QC got a yellow for a head high that produced a penalty try. The try was given under the posts and he was off for 10. That isnt a good thing Dave, thats not good, just like the rest of his game thst night, on the whole IT WASNT GOOD.

You refuse to accept and only deflect, thats your problem, thats why you cant understand. I realise this is pointless but I hope that you guys will oneday accept realitu instead on denying it.

Oh well Dave enjoy the game tonight. It should be a belter! And Ruckin Oaf well done for another useless contribution from yourself. Always informative.

LB, Spot on. 23 man wallaby team is selection of coaches. But when tide turns, you want the number of years dedicated service. Cue Liam Gill!

You have no idea what you are talking about. I say this because uouve told me that, you have stated you dont watch or know about the Top 14 and yet you comment based on little but bias. For a start, many of the Top 14 teams have STARS from Super Rugby along side internationals like J.Roberts, Y.Huget, Lobbe and Fofana. To suggest players proven at Super Rugby level along side world class players couldnt foot it in Super Rugby is stup1d. Heres an example of a few teams, I will include as many SH players as possible so you can comment on something you know about. Toulon. 1) Chilichava Georgia 2) Guirardo France 3) Ma'afu Australia 4) POC Ireland 5) Taofifenua France 6) Lobbe Argentina 7) Manoa USA 8) Vermeulen South Africa 9) Tiles Borde France 10) Cooper Australia 11) Habana South Africa 12) Giteau Australia 13) Nonu New Zealand 14) Mitchell Australia 15) JOC Australia Racing 92 1) Ben Arous France 2) Szarzewski France 3) Tameifuna Chiefs 4) Charteris Wales 5) Kruger South Africa 6) le Roux France 7) Nyanga France 8) Masoe New Zealand 9) Phillips Wales 10) Carter New Zealand 11) Thomas France 12) Dumoulin France 13) Laulala New Zealand 14) Imhoff Argentina 15) Gosen South Africa But you may be right, international players wouldnt be able to handle Super Rugby, its too intense.

Not really a problem for the Wallabies, Debreczeni should be the next choice outside the current top pick match day 23 as a future proofing strategy anyway.

You prove my point. What glimpses? He has nearly as many excellent performances to his name than Foley has played Test Matches. Foley has had one good match in his entire test career when everything was on a plate for him and he is the anointed one for all time? Cooper makes errors like every other player. Yet it magically only sticks with him. For example (and I can list them all night long by the way), of course you forgot his short pass to TK 5 metres out. Rod Kafer spent the time in between the knock on and replay saying 'poor pass Quade Cooper' followed by a rant about it not being acceptable at Test level. Once the replay showed the pass was perfectly fine, just pure silence. No retraction. No further comments at all actually. So the lay supporter just hears 'Cooper stuffs up' and that's that. Had we lost, no doubt the leading story would have been about him. Rugby is a team game. He cannot do his job in isolation. When he makes mistakes fine criticise him. Just criticise him by the same standards as everyone else. Genia conceded a yellow against Wales and publicly said he would do it again to save a try. TK concedes a stupid one for no reason vs Fiji and it was barely noticed in the commentary. Why not stories about those? Cooper concedes a yellow trying to save a try after numerous people had missed tackles and its a 'brain explosion' and proof positive that his selection was a 'mistake' according to the fox sports crew. Oh and Quade seems to be doing fine which is a credit to him. I cant imagine holding tackling bags and spending 3 months trying to teach the guy that has your spot to pass the ball further than 15 metres sounds all that appealing...

Yeah Eagle, stop talking about 2013! Oh wait, then the QC supporters have nothing at all.

Ahh, if you just make stuff up its going to take a while to get through to you. Cooper had played just under half the minutes available under Cheks leading into the WC and took NONE of his many opportunities. In the WC he was again given an opportunity against Uraguay and AGAIN failed to impress. Now, you claim he should start the game tonight...nonsense. In 2010 QC showed breif glimpses of what he was cabable of and was on the verge of securing the #10 spot. In 2011 he took the #10 spot off an out of form and divisive Giteau had failed to impress against Samoa. He was ordinary at times during the 3 nats and WC. In 2012 he returned from injury and failed to impress, behind the scenes he, the team and the coach were starting to divide. He was injured and fined after a forgetable year. In 2013 he was overlooked for the Lions series for obvious reasons but it didnt stop the country from helping the Lions win the series by going on a campaign to destroy the Wallabies chances with a constent attack on the team, coach and JOC. Later that year Cooper was selected as the preferred 10 and he put in his ONLY consistent stint as Wallaby 10, he was good for about 4 games in a row. Never before or after would this happen. In 2014 he returned to the team after injury and he failed to take any of his opportunities to regain the 10 jumper, Aus, for the first time in a long time, had a credible, less inconsistent, more reliable alternative in Foley. In 2015 Cooper was given multiple occasions to prove his ability but was awful in most, if not all of those games. He was carded, inconsistent and unreliable in different areas and all areas of his game, although his abilty to front up in defence had vastly improved, although it was flawed in technique.

Hey eagleJack, Maybe you could join in the current conversation rather than cut and paste whatever old grievances you had against QC

Credit where it's due, Mick. Notwithstanding whatever personal flaws you may think they have, the three amigos are all each capable of providing great entertainment on the field. And isn't that what we're here for?