Michael Hooper’s second coming as Wallabies captain is bad news for new kid Tom Hooper’s Wallabies kit.
The senior Hooper’s decision to step up as co-captain with James Slipper in Eddie Jones’ leadership model for World Cup year is a major statement on multiple fronts.
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It confirms how highly Jones rates Hooper as his top-choice openside flanker ahead of Fraser McReight and how invaluable he sees experience at rugby’s peak tournament.
It confirms what Jones always expected to see at Wallabies training and around the squad. Other players look to Hooper and his example. He’s a problem solver on the field.
From Hooper himself, it booms his own intent to be all-in this year after being wise and strong enough to pull back last year to deal with mental health issues.
When the flanker stepped back from the Wallabies captaincy and the game itself 11 months ago to focus on family and balance in his life, even he didn’t know whether his “mindset” for Test rugby would return.
He played for the NSW Waratahs this year with full-on intensity but without the captaincy.
At 31, Hooper made it clear on Sunday that what’s best for the Wallabies is what’s best for him and he’s ready to extend his captaincy role beyond his record 68 Tests.
“I’m thrilled about what this next four months could be. To sum up, I was unsure what my position looked like in rugby (in August, 2022)…now I can’t wait to give everything I’ve got,” Hooper said.
“I want to get everything out of this next little chunk. I’m all-in.”
Jones only informed Hooper and Slipper of his co-captaincy call late on Saturday so Hooper had to hurriedly prepare for an early Sunday flight to the Gold Coast from Sydney to be at a media conference at Sanctuary Cove resort.
“Eddie checked in with me, particularly with my history of the last 18 months where it didn’t quite work out,” Hooper said of last year’s time-out being no hurdle.
“I got back on tour (with the Wallabies to Europe late last year). I really enjoyed it and I’m rapt to be throwing everything into this beside a guy like ‘Slips” who I have had such a great time with on and off the field over many years.”
Jones called the co-captaincy “a very strong apex to our leadership” and upgraded that to “a winning edge for us” before his media conference was over.
Certainly, having the combined knowledge of 251 Tests poured into the captaincy is a major plus because the pair have seen just about every curveball that international rugby can throw.
As ever, Hooper didn’t take this announcement as meaning the No.7 jersey is under lock and key from challengers like McReight or even Tom Hooper.
“Fraser is pushing. This is what this squad wants, right? If something changes (with selections), I’m all-in,” Hooper said.
How the co-captaincy works in practice will be intriguing. If Slipper plays a strong prop's Test of 60 minutes, Hooper would still be on the field to lead the key closing stages.
If McReight is given a deserved crack in one of the four Tests before the Wallabies leave for France, Slipper would be on the field.
The Wallabies train on the Gold Coast this week before a Friday flight to South Africa and a tough July 8 Test against world champions South Africa in Pretoria.
Jones knows that measuring up physically, picking a lineout force to match the Springboks and not letting the South Africans dictate terms are musts.
There’s part of Hooper that feels like he’s a kid on his first days at a new school with Jones at the helm for the past week in Sydney.
“Change is good and exciting. It’s fresh and the players have trained that way. Everyone is ripping in,” Hooper said.
One thing is different in his 12thyear as a Wallaby.
“I looked around the other day at our kit and I’m “M Hooper” for the first time,” Hooper said with a smile.
“We’ve got a Tom Hooper who has come in (to the Wallabies).
“My son’s name is Tom Hooper. My son is in with me. That’s good.”
The bigger-bodied Hooper, with the abrasive promise, is on notice. If a “T Hooper” waterbottle or “T Hooper” backpack somehow gets misplaced, the young Tom Hooper might just have borrowed it for his nursery.
