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The Wallabies’ incumbent captain James Slipper says it will be Michael Hooper’s decision if he is ready to reclaim the leadership on the Spring Tour.
Hooper, who left the group a day before the opening Rugby Championship Test against Argentina, has just resumed training with some of the squad ahead of a likely recall for the five European Tests starting in Scotland later this month.
While Hooper is expected to be named later this week in a tour party of around 35 players, there is still uncertainty over his intentions when it comes to the captaincy.
Slipper told The Roar Rugby Podcast: “We haven’t really spoken about it too much but I think that’s really Hoops’ call.
“We’re not going to throw anything that Hoops doesn’t want at him. It’s more about Hoops being comfortable back being back playing.
“We just want him to be as happy as he can and as fit and healthy as he can because we know what sort of player he is and what sort of leader naturally he is.
“Just to have him around the around the squad, even if he’s not playing he’ll be a big addition for us. For a lot of our young players seeing him in the same change room will be really beneficial for us as well. We haven’t had that chat yet and I’m sure we will.”
Slipper stepped into the role in Argentina and has led the team in the six Tests since Hooper’s departure.
An experienced, calm head, Slipper has led from the front but admits it’s been a difficult period dogged by inconsistency. He said captaincy was not something he coveted or sought out.
“Whenever you prepare really well and everything goes to plan and you get the result it’s very rewarding,” Slipper said.
“I just wanted to be a player doing my doing my job for the team. I take a lot of happiness from doing my job. So if I can walk off the field knowing I’ve done my bit for the team to get the result we want regardless of being captain that’s all that matters to me.
“It’s been a rocky road this year for sure – a lot of ups and downs we’ve had a lot of adversity as well. It’s been a tough year but I’ve learned a lot essentially and you know whether I’m captain for much longer I’m not too sure but for what it is this year, I’ve enjoyed it. I want to finish the year strong.”
Slipper was asked about his captaincy style.
“You’ve got to read the situation at the time. Read the room. That’s something I’ve probably learned over the years is when, for lack of a better word, a spray is needed,” said Slipper.
“Nine times out of 10 I’m more measured, more calm. I’m looking for solutions, rather than just spraying someone. If you’re trying to get a reaction out of someone by spraying them, you don’t know if that actually gets through.
“What do they actually need to do as a player to fix their role? Dave Rennie is pretty similar as well. He’s very measured, very calm in the change room. It’s about being solution based – what are we doing wrong? What are we doing right? Looking at the detail and the clarity within the game.”
Asked to sum up the year in one word, Slipper’s answer won’t surprise any Wallabies fan.
“Inconsistent. It’s common knowledge that we’ve been able to put in a good performance, but haven’t really backed it up with another one the week after.
“It’s really disappointing as a rugby player. Because you look at a tournament like the World Cup, and you need to win, essentially seven in a row to be standing at the top at the end. At the moment, we’re a bit off there.
“It’s something we’ve definitely addressed and we’re just not seeing that transfer into the games. We’ve had plenty of injuries this year. I’ve never seen anything like it. We lost our skip.
“At times times there were we had a similar team to the one we played the week before, and we played well. Individually we need to make sure that we’re doing everything we can to make sure we back up performances.”
Rugby fans have been frustrated with the direction the game is taking in terms of ball in play time and TMO intervention. Slipper shares some concerns – with water breaks a particular bugbear for the veteran prop.
“I still don’t understand it. I speak to the ref before each game, and we have our chats and I actually bring that up most most weeks, asking how’s it gonna work this week?” Slipper revealed.
“Most refs, if there’s an injury on the field, they’ll pull the water card then, which I think smart.”
He said in Argentina Australia scored a try, the players walked back for the kickoff and then the referee blew for a water break.
“I just couldn’t understand why that’s needed in the game,” Slipper said.
He said the ball in play conversation was worth having, but felt it might be too tough to solve.
“There’s not really much ball in play at the moment – you’re looking between 25 and 35 minutes max of actual ball in play.
“Whether you stop the clock, on those situations where the ball’s dead, that can be an option.
“I enjoy running around and bringing that fatigue into the game. As a smaller prop, it’s going to benefit me.”
He said it was a fine balance between attracting the “fringe” fans and staying true to what makes rugby special.
“It’s worth having a discussion about, but I just can’t see, around the world, a buy in for it,” Slipper said.
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.