Michael Hooper has produced a trademark play as Australia beat Fiji in the former Wallabies captain’s rugby sevens debut.
But the 125-Test flanker also learned the pitfalls of the seven-a-side game at the marquee World Series event in Hong Kong on Friday as he later came off the bench again only to taste his first defeat against France.
Hooper was made to wait for his first taste of the action, injected with little more than two minutes remaining against the Olympic champs Fiji with his side ahead 12-0.
That’s how the score remained, thanks in part to the 32-year-old who has designs on an Olympic debut in Paris in July.
Michael Hooper celebrated his first World Series Sevens match in style by making a breakdown turnover against Fiji to end the match. Photo: World Rugby
He made back-to-back tackles off a scrum before he was penalised taking his first hit-up.
But Hooper worked back to disrupt play and then had the final say, winning a penalty with some trademark pilfering at the breakdown.
Injury niggles had delayed Hooper’s arrival on the sevens scene, leaving him with just two more tournaments after the Hong Kong leg of the world series to push his case for a Games berth.
Australia, world series champions for the first time in 2022, will arrive in France among a large group of nations in gold-medal contention.
“I was bloody nervous today and before the match; sitting on the bench is new to me,” Hooper said post-game.
“It’s pretty special to play in Hong Kong; it’s bucket-list stuff and I’m happy to get one under the belt.
“Big win, but we’ve got to go again against the French tonight, doesn’t get any easier.”
Australia celebrate their first-up win against Fiji in Hong Kong. Photo: World Rugby
He was right. Brought on again with two-and-a-half minutes left, with the Australians seemingly cruising 14-5 up against France, Hooper got wrapped up while charging towards the line, the ball was turned over and the French hit back to score two late tries and snatch a 19-14 win.
It was a disappointment for coach John Manenti’s outfit as Maurice Longbottom had earlier put Australia well in command with a brilliant individual second-half grubber-and-chase score.
Worryingly, the mercurial Longbottom also had to go off later wincing from an apparent rib injury, while defeat meant Australia need to beat Canada in their last group game on Saturday to guarantee a spot in the quarter-finals.
Australia’s series-leading women won both their games on day one, albeit in contrasting fashion as they suffered another red card for a high tackle.
The Rio Olympic champions were staring down the barrel of their first loss to Fiji in their 35-game head-to-head history.
Trailing 12-0 after just four minutes they found a way back, Faith Nathan hitting top gear then veteran Sharni Smale powering over from close-range.
Madison Ashby then paid the price for not lowering her height, clashing heads attempting a tackle and copping the team’s fourth red card of the season.
Maddison Levi continued her rich tryscoring form on day one of the Hong Kong Sevens. Photo: World Rugby
Still they found a way, Maddison Levi scoring and then laying a crucial tackle in the final stages to secure the win.
They then turned the tables on Ireland, a 35-0 shut-out an emphatic response to the underdogs’ upset win in the Perth decider in January.
Ruby Nicholas iced the five-try drubbing, breaking away to score on her debut, leaving Australia in the box seat to top their pool ahead of a final round-robin clash with South Africa on Saturday.
HSBC SVNS HONG KONG – AUSTRALIA WOMEN
Pool B
Australia 19 defeated Fiji 12
Australia 35 defeated Ireland 0
Saturday, April 6
Australia v South Africa – 2:25pm (AEDT)
HSBC SVNS HONG KONG – AUSTRALIA MEN
Pool A
Australia 12 defeated Fiji 0
France 19 defeated Australia 14
Saturday, April 6
Australia v Canada – 4:20pm (AEDT)
El Gamba
Roar Guru
Being a little facetious, we can agree on decades of it not being run properly
jimmy jones
Roar Rookie
'Wasting water' yet you're still paying attention. Hardly been the focus for decades, the mens and development programs have never been run properly.
El Gamba
Roar Guru
Yeah. That’s been the focus for decades and see where they are, wasting water on weeds when we have a flower blooming over there
jimmy jones
Roar Rookie
The focus should be on strengthening the men's and junior development programs, including the women's. Why should the whole of Aust's rugby focus be solely on womens 7s?
Muzzo
Roar Rookie
TBH the Olympics are nothing compared to the current annual World Series tournaments. Mainly due to there is limited selective teams competing, compared to both the WS & even the Sevens World Cup. Even what the Olympics fail to abide with, is their infamous quote, of nation against nation , in a global outlook. Then why, are the UK, allowed to have combined nations competing against other nations? As in Great Britain? Incredible how the IOC hypocritaly change their tune!
Muzzo
Roar Rookie
TBH Hooper needs more time on the paddock, as he's still learning, & is nowhere near being the star player as Longbottom is, with him being the teams standout player. Now we are down to the Semi's it's about beating the current HK title holders the AB'7s & Blackferns. Very impressed with the Aust. women's player Paki, but along with the Australian commentators, & others not being able to pronounce her name properly, as there is NO ' R ' in Paki being of Maori heritage.
Rocky's Rules
Roar Rookie
Hooper went ok and did not star. I watched both Aust games. Hooper got last 2 minutes in 1 game and last 3 minutes in the 2nd. Best he did was get 1 good turnover. With more game time he could turn into a useful 7s player but he's too slow now to star.
Just Nuisance
Roar Rookie
A while ago I predicted that the Olympic 7s will be won by either Fiji , NZ or SA ..Why ? Cause they are usual culprits ..But I've changed my mind ....Argentina , France , Australia putting their hands up....
cookie
Roar Guru
I enjoyed the ladies games yesterday to the mens.. they just seem more jovial. I have to say that 7's that it crossed my mind how I can see 15's going to some extent when the lower tackle heights change the rucks and mauls... For the first time I didn't look at it negatively.. it would be a fast flowing game where the ball is always contestable opposed to league
Footy Franks
Roar Rookie
Great to see Hoops on the up.
Hugh_96
Roar Pro
Yep Terita brings size which they miss without Alysia LF
Hugh_96
Roar Pro
The Oz women 7s team are always fun to watch, some seriously good skills across the park. The pass from Sariah Paki to Maddi Levi in the Irish game was sublime & Paki is a bench playing forward rather than a play maker. As for men they will be mighty annoyed not being able to close out the French game. An error here or there makes the difference. In saying that the French team is very good.
JC
Roar Rookie
RA needs to work out how to leverage the success of the women’s team into commercial opportunity. It’s a tough one with almost all their exploits occurring offshore. They are a fantastic example of high performance but I’m getting concerned that the red cards might bite them on the biggest stage of all.
Reds Harry
Roar Rookie
IMO the women look better with Bienne Terita back in the team. They need her to run some hard lines. Good stuff from both debutants in the Irish game.
Reds Harry
Roar Rookie
This. Though they did panic in that last play to allow the French flier to show his pace. Hope Maurice is fit for the weekend.
El Gamba
Roar Guru
Agree PK, that’s where Aus rugby’s focus should be
Deepthinker
Roar Rookie
The jackal was against fiji, the turnover leading to the loss was in the French game. The French did need to score again, so def not all on hoops, but possession, 9 points up and in their 22 with about a min left just showed he needs more time to learn 7s. Other guys were doing a great job of taking contact with support, hoops needed to pass and support. Love Hoops, he got that one wrong, but he certainly needs another 10 games before really judging his quality in the 7s game.
Ken Catchpole's Other Leg
Roar Guru
Not just an article. Said to a table of Shute vets this morning - Whatever the girls are drinking should be bottled and passed around to everyone in Oz rugby. Nothing short of inspiring.
trandr
Roar Rookie
Agree with PK ,some of the run on passes to the wingers, leave the men for dead and the patience to target overlaps
JC
Roar Rookie
Fantastic to have Hoops back. Only seen the highlights but sounds like a mixed bag of good and not-so-good — exactly what he and everyone was expecting from his first outings. Encouraging to see the boys pushing the teams above them in the rankings but they must be rueing not turning the screws on France while they were ahead.