Wallabies captain Michael Hooper is eager to build a legacy to take Australian Rugby to the next level as he returns to camp following his sabbatical.
Hooper made his return to the fold after spending the start of the year in Japan with Toyota Verblitz.
Get your tickets now for the Wallabies three-Test series with France!
Linking back up with the squad was like his first day back at school according to Hooper, who was confirmed as the captain for the foreseeable future.
Having spent the past six months learning from the likes of Kieran Read and Willie Le Roux, Hooper told reporters on Friday the experience provided him with a fresh perspective towards approaching his game.
“It was great to let the guard down and get involved up there in Toyota. I was really impressed with Kieran and Willie le Roux in different aspects. Crony (Simon Cron) is doing some great work up there with Steve Hansen and they are putting a good program together,” he said.
“We got close but not all the way which is unfortunate but definitely saw a different perspective on Rugby and how things are played and to go about business. There was a lot to take from it personally, physically and mentally growth-wise.
“…It was really interesting to hear from (Kieran’s) perspective on things being from across the ditch and his time. What an amazing career he had, absolutely fantastic and to learn what worked and didn’t work from him, sometimes you think it’s all rosy but there were certainly challenges for every rugby player.
“He was really open and honest with me and that was enjoyable.”
Coming back into the Wallabies set-up, Hooper was clear about setting out what legacy this team would leave behind as plans start to turn towards Rugby World Cup 2023 and beyond.
He stressed the importance of creating an identity over the next three weeks the whole team could unify behind.
“I think we as an Australian environment, we put so much pressure on winning and that’s with every sport, the Olympics coming up so you talk about vision, what’s our vision going to be? What mark are we going to leave at this team? And that’s what we need to dig down at the minute,” he pondered.
“If we’re in this environment and we aren’t desperate to win, then there’s probably an issue there. There is a fair bit of hunger in there to be a part of this Wallabies group that wins things, that’s a given but what’s a little step forward for us and that’s something that we need to work out and delve into.
“You start to look at what mark are we going to leave and what’s that going to be after we’re gone…what’s that mark going to be in 10-15 years time? If there are patches and bits that this group was a part of in making, then we’re starting to head in the right direction.
“We’ve got to work out our vision as a team because I have my own but as a team, that’s what we need to work out because then we’re all starting to go in that area…We’ve got to have all of our guys with that thinking and patched into something that is universal for us as a team and what’s that going to be. That’s hugely exciting.”
This starts with defence, which became a talking point throughout Super Rugby Trans-Tasman as the Kiwi sides asserted their dominance.
This was something Hooper recognised in the opening days of the camp as they turn their focus away from the 'fancy' aspects of the game.
“We’ve got to get a structure in place. There has been technical aspects even in the first few days which we’re going to have a look at in the areas we want to look at in defence where we can slow teams up, turnover the ball,” he admitted.
“There’s no secret that keeping opposition points down is so critical. You get four tries scored on you then you have to score five to win so if you can keep them to nothing, all you need is a penalty goal.
“As simple as that sounds, we forgot it sometimes because we love the fancy Rugby of the world and it makes tries, try assists but some of the stuff that people don’t see or we might only see can lead to a try or turning over the ball can be really effective so that’s what we need to put importance on.”
READ MORE:
TT FINAL: Squads confirmed for Final
CLEARED: Swinton free to play
LEARNING LESSONS: Foketi using call-up to help Tahs
With Brumbies coach Dan McKellar on board as the forwards' coach, Hooper was already starting to notice his influence over the team and relished what he could do with the monster Wallabies pack.
"He brings a bit of a hard nose, and I've noticed that in the first couple of days, to that role," Hooper said of McKellar. "He's got a solid track record being able to put together a maul and run a really effective ship and lead a good forwards unit.
"I mentioned before some of the bodies and size of the people that we have in this environment, he's got more of that to play with. It's just like a natural progression that guys just seem to get bigger the more levels you go up, so he's probably licking his lips with some of the specimens he's got in here in the room.
“It’s now about figuring out what we want to do as a forward pack, how are we going to be on the field and he’s got some really strong ideas around that and I think he’s going to be able to deliver that to this team.”
