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As Eddie Jones spoke of the agony of informing players they had missed World Cup selection last week, there was one phone call he never got to make. Not that he didn’t try.
The Roar can reveal that Jones tried in vain to contact Quade Cooper on Wednesday, August 9 – one day before the squad was announced – but the 35-year-old playmaker never answered after the Wallabies coach opted to select burgeoning talents Carter Gordon and Ben Donaldson.
Since then, efforts to reach Cooper by Jones and other Rugby Australia officials have been ignored.
On Thursday afternoon, as the Wallabies prepared to fly out for France, Jones confirmed The Roar’s story.
Asked if he had spoken to Cooper since the team was announced, Jones answered: “I’ve tried to and we can’t get hold of him.”
Asked why that might be, Jones revealed “I think he’s very upset mate” before firing back. “I don’t know why you’re going back to that. That’s probably reflective of Australian rugby. We’ve got to move on to a World Cup with a great young squad and you’re still talking about players we haven’t selected. We’ve tried to ring him, that’s all I can do,” Jones said.
“I’m disappointed the players are upset but all I can do is ring. If they don’t take your phone call you can’t talk to them.
“If I ring them and they won’t ring back, what do you want me to do? What do you want me to do.”
Last Thursday evening, Jones spoke of the heartache in having to call as many as 20 players to inform them that they had missed selection.
“They’re terrible phone calls. You never like to tell a player’s he’s not in the squad,” said Jones, who took it upon himself to call those who missed out, while team manager Chris Webb called those with the good news.
“Don’t get me wrong, they’re more painful for the player, but for a coach they’re not the discussions you like to have.”
Quade Cooper has gone to ground since being excluded from the Wallabies’ World Cup squad. (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)
In the absence of communication, The Roar understands it is one of the reasons why Cooper was not named in the Australia A squad to take on Portugal in Paris on August 26 – the day before the Wallabies take on Les Bleus at the Stade de France in Jones’ final hit out before the World Cup.
While Cooper would have needed clearance from his Japanese club to take part for Australia A, his place in the Jason Gilmore-coached side has seemingly been taken by fellow Japan-based Bernard Foley, who led Kubota to the League One title in May.
“We’ve gone for a younger guy in Donaldson,” Jones told Morgan Turinui when asked about Cooper’s exclusion at the Wallabies’ World Cup squad announcement.
“We just feel that’s our best option going forward. Quade’s come back from a serious Achilles tendon [injury] and [he’s] probably not as sharp as he’d like to be, and he could still feature in the World Cup further down the track.”
Eddie Jones (coach) attempted to reach Quade Cooper but his phone call wasn’t answered. (Photo by Sydney Seshibedi/Gallo Images/Getty Images)
Probed as to whether Cooper could still feature for Australia A, Jones was cagey but added that players outside Wallabies squad would likely be called upon throughout the seven-week campaign.
“We’ll have to have a discussion with him about that,” he said.
“But certainly, that Australian A program is going to be important for us. We’ve seen in The Rugby Championship, of the first squad we’ve made probably about seven of those drop out in the course of the championship and the World Cup’s going to be similar.”
But given Cooper has not spoken to Jones, who selected the 26-man Australia A squad exclusively, it goes some way in explaining the former Super Rugby winner’s extraordinary fall from grace from Wallabies starting 10 to outside the top 50 players.
Yet, the devastating knee injury suffered by France’s first-choice playmaker Romain Ntamack, whose partnership with Antoine Dupont had the host nation pitted as one of the favourites for this year’s competition, has once again reinforced the notion that depth will be crucial at this year’s campaign. It’s why having players ready to go could prove vital.
At present, the Wallabies only have one specialist playmaker in their squad with Gordon in line to wear the No.10 jersey despite playing just four Tests.
Gordon, who has been limited to light duties over the past week because of a calf niggle, opened up on Tuesday by saying he had heard from Cooper but said he wouldn’t fall into the trap of thinking the No.10 jersey was his alone.
“Being the only 10 on the sheet doesn’t really mean too much to me,” he said, fresh from returning from the Northern Territory after a four-day camp, including a night under the stars in Arnhem Land.
“It’s more so about getting better and still earning my spot because if you go out there and play some bad rugby, you’re going to be giving it up, so it’s just making sure I’m growing every day and doing everything I can to keep that jersey.”
Carter Gordon (R) said Quade Cooper (L) was pivotal in his learning development. (Photo by Peter Meecham/Getty Images)
Gordon said he had “learned a lot from Quade” and the veteran playmaker had been “massive” for his growth.
That sentiment, The Roar understands, is shared by many inside the Wallabies squad.
Yet, Cooper’s decision to go to ground could signal the end of his remarkable international career.
It comes less than a fortnight after Cooper took to social media to open up on his Bledisloe heartbreak in Dunedin, which shaped as his final Test against the All Blacks in New Zealand.
“That was most likely the last game I’ve played against the ABs in NZ,” Cooper wrote on social media.
“These are the moments I’ll miss the most: taking a host to tie the game with a full house booing, running out with your teammates against the best, knowing the challenge that awaits is just moments away.
“It just doesn’t get much better than competing at the highest level. The preparation, the physical toll, and the emotional journey can be brutal, but we continue to get up and want more.
“I stayed out on the field for about 20 minutes post-game, just thinking about my journey and how lucky I was to be one of the few standing out there, while looking into the stands where thousands had gathered.
“Understanding that I too stood there or watched on TV with a dream of being on the other side of the fence one day.
“So, to the kids with dreams, continue to chase them even when they seem out of reach. And to the fans, whether yelling, cheering, or booing, whatever it is, thanks for always creating that atmosphere.”
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.