Australian five-eighth Quade Cooper enjoyed the ideal introduction to the Top 14 as he steered Toulon to a 52-8 thrashing of Montpellier on Saturday.
Cooper flourished behind a dominant pack, Fijian winger Josua Tuisova scoring a second-half hat-trick as the home side ran in eight tries to one for a well-deserved bonus point.
“You can see with Quade that after just two training sessions, he’s very much at ease,” Toulon centre Maxime Mermoz said.
“He attacks a lot and doesn’t hesitate to force the pass.”
Cooper was little used by the Wallabies in the World Cup, but showed few signs of ring rustiness in his first run-out for the three-time European champions.
His genius and fallibility were both on show in the first-half: a no-look grubber setting up the second of Lachie Turner’s tries, but a forced one-handed sling pass leading to Montpellier’s intercept try through Julien Malzieu.
Toulon might have been missing the likes of Bryan Habana, Matt Giteau, Drew Mitchell, Ma’a Nonu, Leigh Halfpenny, Duane Vermuelen, Paul O’Connell, Frederic Michalak and James O’Connor, but they could still afford to field a star-studded team packed with experienced internationals.
Bernard Laporte named nine foreigners in his starting Toulon line-up – Montpellier coach Jake White plumping for a staggering 11.
There were a further eight foreigners on both benches in a sharp realisation of the globalisation of the Top 14, where clubs are funded by multi-millionaire owners.
In this case it involves Mourad Boudjellal, who has bankrolled the star-studded Toulon team through the millions made from his comic book empire, and Mohed Altrad, who made his millions in scaffolding and cement after a tough early life that saw him start out as a bedouin in the Syrian desert.
In an ironic twist, even the referee was a foreigner: Argentinian Juan Silvestre officiated the game in English.
He showed Montpellier’s Australian captain Ben Mowen a yellow for a ruck infringement early on in Saturday’s game.
wardad
Guest
In the hunt at Eden Park ? When exactly ? The first 15 minutes ?
wardad
Guest
Didnt Cooper cite Spencer as one of his role models ?
wardad
Guest
62-13 says otherwise .
Ruckin Oaf
Guest
Considering the restrictions injuries have placed on him in 2014 and 2015 it's not surprising 2013 was at his best.
TOM
Guest
Not bothered, Are you talking about B.Foley at this years RWC ??
marto
Guest
NOT BOTHERED give it a rest mate ..You lost the argument , dont exacerbate you ignorance....Move on mate..
marto
Guest
No wondter mont got smashed, they had that Foley clone Ben Lucas there...
marto
Guest
naaaah you dont say???? " He needs a platform that provides both space and time to be effective" ...Go back and watch the over rated carters horrendous game in sydney where his pack was dominated... On the flip side Quade did pretty good in 2011 when his reds beat everyone to win the title with a pack that was not dominant..
puff
Guest
Taylorman, after another cursory review I note some folk continue to bang the drum and appear to have this uncanny ability to hallucinate about rugby matches almost played in another age. Don’t they understand that major sports continue to evolve and as witnessed in the WC just completed, that some nations struggled with that transformation. The same delusion applies to some key players, it’s not skill level or fitness but adjustment and acknowledging the attributes they displayed five years age no-longer cut it. Cheika is an astute coach and is more in tune with the Foley package, than QC’s stutter step and game management. Apart from a slight improvement in his defensive game he brings nothing new to the table. In all the games I watched, the key contributors provided added abilities within their skill set. Therefore, he will not be considered unless those changes are forthcoming, playing in France will not deliver that incentive and at 27, time may not be his friend. The salient point is, in 2011 in the world rugby player rates the gent was in the high 20’s, today he struggles to stay in the top 100. With innovation and change we create paradigms and rugby is no different. All major coaching teams today are probably sitting behind a white board looking for that edge, style, player requirement, or innovation that will provide success at the top table.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
Well if he set up a few tries... It kind of was...
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
Yeah it is. Because their domestic competition is full of foreigners. Hard to have a good national team when you have less players to choose from who get less opportunity to play at high levels.
PiratesRugby
Guest
It is his first game with a new team in a new comp in a different continent and he's only trained twice. Give the Quade bashing a rest. He's gone now. Toulon could afford anyone in the world and they chose Quade. Australia is the only place in the world where Foley gets picked over Quade. Or Hooper gets picked over Pocock!
vic rugby
Guest
Wallabies getting thoroughly embarrassed -tick
soapit
Guest
finally someone will try oconnor at 13?!?! it really would be his best position, give him a bit of space and a winger and fullback option to run with him.
soapit
Guest
yeah ive always assumed this too. not sure why theroar hasnt been able to come up with a better solution than this for now
AndyS
Guest
If it helps Mick, I think it is because whatever comment they were attached to was deleted and they all default to the end, out of context. That's always been my assumption anyway, looking at the timestamps.
cuw
Guest
only matt stevens and salesi maafu are there others retired i guess.
Hoy
Roar Guru
You can hardly say Cheika saw his style doesn't work from Eden Park... We were in the hunt until he got sent for a rest... Truth is anything could have happened had he stayed on... though realistically it probably would have been a NZ win anyway... but we will never know... But to say Cheika saw his style won't work simply from Eden Park is a bit simple isn't it?
marc
Guest
how do you watch it? is it on foxtel?
whydoncha
Guest
I was never a fan of the three, spoilt, protected, little, mummy's amigos and some others but I will say this. Beale seems to have matured and grown a brain as has Giteau, who bar for his dummy spit at Cheika for the concussion protocols seems to have matured too. It could be the making of Cooper to strike out and stand on his own two feet. I hope so. He is a rare talent but talent untempered will only get you so far. All that talent needs to be directed by something resembling a brain and some pragmatic common sense.