Not super, Cooper: Quade's Wallabies recall mission begins with yellow card, thumping loss in Japan

Quade's village is somewhere in Japan now.

Yes he is best since larks but only by default. 1. I dunno I think Elton might have a chance at best since Larkham. 2. But he's still probably the best right now

I guess that explains why wallabies record over the last 10 years if Quade seen as best. Fact is foley was better for a chunk of that time and why selected ahead of him. But yes foley had his deficiencies. Fact is 10’s since larkham been a major step down and no match for kiwi 10s over that time. We need to find a better long term 10. Carter still young and maybe could get there. Noah again maybe. So then who else could be the next best prospect who could be larkham and Michael lynagh type quality.

Edmed as third…you are kidding surely

Yes, Cec ‘harden up’ is what we say to our linebackers and quarterbacks alike. It’s a one size fits all policy. To be clear, I’m not arguing for mollycoddling but we seem to have too much bush butcher logic in our critique of the ‘surgery’ involved in playmaking.

No Mo, but Mug’s chauffeur occasionally has steam coming out of his eyes. It might be connected to working conditions, and the strain trying to understand the language that front rowers speak during long phone calls. (Mugs often speaks ‘front row’ in front of people who only speak English). His name is Radek. He deserves support. Mugs is a fair boss. Cruel, but fair. Hi Mugs!

:laughing:

Ah yes the Aussie “harden up” narrative. I just can’t believe we didn’t nurture several 10s in that 28-32yrs age bracket like Jack Deb, Hegarty, Stewart & co. Perhaps Horne & Nucifora can influence a change in attitude for future 10s.

If you had to ask me what the single most important factor in Boks prevailing this WC was Ken I believe beyond doubt ..It was experience.......They were caps wise and age wise the most experienced team..You cannot buy it even if you had the money .

“ Nobody says Quade has to be the nr 10 for 2027 he is going to be pretty old by then , but tapping into that experience while the team rebuilds ( and lets face it thats exactly what Aus needs to do) is just pure gold especially as whoever his replacement is will need to lean on Quades experience initially” In a nutshell JN. You see it. Harry sees it. Dan Carter saw it (as late as last October). But The Great Australian Flake Watch marches on.

Thanks JN. I don’t know what language it needs to be said in, but it hasn’t got through to many yet. Thanks for your very well chosen words.

Quickness between the ears … something else that left me a looong looong time ago :)

Cant speak for Ken but I myself am a Quade Cooper fan ..I’ve seen him and not in the distant past either manage games against My Boks in a way few flyhalves in the world can do..But more than that I am obsessed with experience …Nobody says Quade has to be the nr 10 for 2027 he is going to be pretty old by then , but tapping into that experience while the team rebuilds ( and lets face it thats exactly what Aus needs to do) is just pure gold especially as whoever his replacement is will need to lean on Quades experience initially . The Rugby Championship and The Lions are not ideal platforms to learn on the job . Can absolutely destroy a young players confidence ..I am not a fan of The Wallabies but seeing their decline under Eddie gave me no joy at all. That was a direct result of Jones ignoring experience ..Dont do it again please .

So no flames down the side of your car I take it.

That was my school motto- scientia est potestas.

Hopeful signs Jacko.

Looks like they are already part of future planning Ken. I look forward to Japan and Fiji joining the RC to have 2 6N comps around the globe. Fiji has potential to be more competitive than Japan atm. Definately where the money is and I really like the approach Japan are taking by not rushing into something for the sake of doing so.

Yes I think thats where it will start tho. Japan will play cross-overs with NZ and Aus SR teams that have their test players away on national duty. I think a 4 week window will be enough. Different story once the Japanese teams start winning tho of course but that will take time.

Kevin, the ABCs keep talking about all the coaches that Cooper has allegedly ‘fallen out with’, but every one of those coaches has replaced him with a lesser player. Cheika – Foley. Thorn – Stewart and JOC Jones – Donaldson When will this wrongheadedness stop? If I was WB coach for a year, I’d pick the best pack to build an attack based game around. Then I’d pick the best prospects at 10 that are skilled at enabling a deceptive attack. Then I’d pick Quade to mentor each of them. Then I’d assess which ball runners/catchers complement which 10. Then I’d optimise the development of each young player by putting them into contests with ever ascending pressure. ‘Tempering’ the talent is the goal. And crucial in 10 talent is thinking fast and accurately under pressure. And we don’t know, and we can’t talk a young playmaker int that level of high pressure competence. Development, tempering the steely mind, mentoring, that’s how young 10’s mature. If we were mature enough as a rugby culture to embark on such a development program, we’d also possibly be mature enough to include an extremely experienced, and still extremely fit, exponent in the mix. Is that our status quo? No. The terraces are peopled with Nero’s passing judgement on the mistakes of 10’s (young and old) , and they are ever ready with downturned thumbs. “Off with his jersey!” they boo, waiting for the next gladiatorial creative to put himself up for ridicule. We judge 10’s too much, and develop them too little. If we got serious about development Quade would be in my squad, every time. And if he was fit, and besting the joeys on offer, he’d be on the paddock at first whistle. And if not, he’d be waiting, even in a suit, for an injury or a confidence stumble of the young un du jour.

I hope that we do something with Japan. If the eyeballs won’t come to Mohammed, Mohamed may need to move to the eyeballs.