“He’s the best option."
With that, Dave Rennie gave the green light for one of the most incredible rugby comebacks in recent history.
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Few would have predicted given the journey he's been on that the 70-cap veteran would be preparing to return to the starting side in 2021.
However, that's the reality after Cooper was named at flyhalf for Sunday's clash with world champions South Africa.
The 34-year-old will make his first appearance in gold since coming off the bench as Australia beat Italy at Suncorp Stadium in 2017.
Having initially joined as injury cover, Cooper has impressed Rennie and the coaching staff within training and during a hit out against the Force last week so much he has been tasked with the difficult job of stopping the number one side in the world.
“He’s the best option,” Rennie told reporters on Friday.
“He has been with us around four weeks, was training really well and we felt we still need more balance to our game. He’s got the skill set to deliver that whether it’s by hand or through his boot."
Whilst the selection has caused mixed reactions since it was first revealed on Friday morning, Rennie maintains the 34-year-old is the best option and his selection was not a sign of panic after a Bledisloe whitewash.
“There’s certainly no panic. We’re basing selections on what we see. Some guys are selected on recent Test matches and for Quade, it’s been training,” Rennie said.
“He’s trained really well, he was very close to selection last week and got the nod this week so there is certainly no panic. We are trying to grow our game, and we think he’s the right man to help get us around the park.
“…We’re picking the guy who we think can do the best job for us, based on the cattle we’ve got. He’s certainly earnt it and I can’t speak highly enough of him.
"We had a good chat with Quade prior to him coming in and I guess a lot of my knowledge of him was what I read in the paper previously, but he’s been outstanding.
"He's earned the opportunity. We’re picking him on what we know and what we see and he deserves it.”
In looking at the Cooper selection, there is the flipside: 21-year-old Noah Lolesio, who has been left out of the side altogether.
After a tough series against the All Blacks, Rennie believes the decision allows the young half to refresh and reflect on his game after a whirlwind 2021, having started in all six Tests so far.
"I’m not sure about low on confidence but he was a bit disappointed with last weekend,” Rennie added on Lolesio.
“We had a number of opportunities to nudge in behind them and he’s still growing his game management.
"I think it’s an opportunity for him to sit back, take stock and it certainly gives him some time to reflect. We've talked about watching a lot of footy so when he goes into games he has a really good understanding of the kicking space and confirming that on the field.
“He’s still a young man who’s played six Tests in a row this year. We've been very happy with Quade and he's the right man for the job.
"...We rate him highly and that’s the reason he’s started so many Tests. I do believe it’s a chance for him to clear the head a little bit.
"We’ve got four Tests in quick succession coming up and he’s desperate to be better and we've gone through his game in detail. He's learning quickly and we've talked about the game management side of it and that's a massive focus for him.
"He'll certainly spend some time and there's a chance to sit back and watch how other guys play this week."
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Cooper edges out former Rebels team-mate Reece Hodge for the role, who will play his 50th game from the bench.
Despite starting at flyhalf the last time the Wallabies beat the All Blacks, Rennie conceded his versatility may have held him back.
“There was a huge amount of discussion around Hodgey as well as an option at 10," he explained
“I’m not going to divulge all the reasons why (he wasn't chosen) because we don’t want to tip our hat to South Africa, but he was very much in the selection frame and it’s the reason he’s on the bench.
“We certainly don’t want to play conservatively, but we don’t want to be reckless either. Hodgey’s been great, he fills holes all over the place and maybe that’s his frustration.
"He’s Mr Fixit and he’s played just about every position outside of 10 this year. I know he’s keen to pin down a spot and he’s certainly applying pressure.”
