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By Jim Morton,
AAP Updated December 1, 2013, 3:20 pm
Quade Cooper admits he couldn't have finished 2013 further removed from where he ended 2012 after he orchestrated a thrilling Wallabies triumph over Wales at Millennium Stadium.
Persona non grata in Wallabies ranks 12 months ago after describing the team environment as toxic, Cooper capped his transformation with a man-of-the-match display in his 50th Test.
The playmaker was at his bewildering best in a drama-filled 75-minute effort which showcased all his skills as Australia finished their European tour with a 30-26 victory.
Cooper has spent the bulk of his Wallabies' career swinging from entertaining hero to pantomime villain and his 50th game encapsulated both as he finished the classic, high-paced encounter in the sin-bin.
While he produced his fair share of attacking magic, including a wonderful flick pass to set up a try, an early tackle ruling by referee Wayne Barnes against the five-eighth reaped a yellow card which left Australia hanging on for dear life with only 14 men for the last five minutes.
Cooper was captain at the time but the controversial call meant the Wallabies had to produce their "gutsiest effort of the year", according to fullback Israel Folau, to repel waves of Welsh attack.
Only desperate defence and a 100 per cent goalkicking return by Christian Leali'ifano, who scored 20 points, ensured Australia's spectacular attacking game was rewarded with a richly-deserved victory.
"I was sitting on the sideline so filthy with myself, I didn't want to let the team down," Cooper said.
"But it's a sign of a good team when ... everything is going against us, everybody pulled together and lifted a little bit more."
The gripping three-tries-to-two win gave Australia their first four-match streak in five years and ensured Ewen McKenzie finished his first season in charge with a break-even 6-6 record.
It also gives the Wallabies a firm foundation to build on ahead of the 2015 World Cup and makes the deflation of the mid-year series loss to the British and Irish Lions a more distant memory.
Cooper said he "loved every minute" of the end-of-season tour which could have so easily been a grand slam triumph if not for a second-half meltdown in the 20-13 loss to England four weeks ago.
"I'm fortunate to have finished the year off like this, it's something I've always worked towards," he said.
"From where I was at a year ago it wouldn't have been possible to think where I would be today, but it proves that hard work and dedication, and sticking with something you love and giving it back to your team mates ... can lead to things."
The Wallabies fortunes have mirrored Cooper's this year as they fell to the Lions while he was banished by then coach Robbie Deans, and struggled like him at the start of The Rugby Championship, before clicking into gear and offering renewed hope.
"I feel this tour has put us ahead of where we thought we would be," said Cooper, who praised the squad's unity since six players were stood down for a late night in Dublin.
"We've made a lot of things [happen] that we didn't think were possible as a team, in terms of culture.
"Everyone's pulled together tight and we've come out the other side a bigger and better team.
"I know that those things will put us in a position to be the best in the world."
http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/spo...ry-over-wales/
80 Minutes, 15 Positions, No Protection, Wanna Ruck?
Ruck Me, Maul Me, Make Me Scrum!
Education is Important, but Rugby is Importanter!
Shouldn't have been filthy with himseld because it was rubbish yellow card that was best chalked up as "Wales must win" decision.
Cooper has been a massive plus for the Wallabies on tour and also had a great game in that last Bledisloe Cup game in Dunedin.
Hopefully he can go on with the form leading into 2014 and likewise for some other Wallabies and hopefully we can knock of the Kiwis and Saffers!
Hopefully we can see some meat pies from the Honey Badger in Force colours nect year!
If you need that many views of the slow-motion replay to decide it was early contact, there's no way you should card the tackler. Cards are for deliberate foul play and if you can't determine an early tackle at normal speed, you certainly can't claim the tackler deliberately made an early tackle.
Don't tell me the sky's the limit when there are footprints on the moon
yeah, slow mo is bad for decisions like that, It looks like they have a heap of time to decide to go for the early tackle, when in reality it is only a split second.
Should not have been a yellow, that is for sure!
Man of the Match for me. he set up almost everything! yum yum, humble pie!
need humble pie emoticons.... Coach??
Did someone say Hot Pies???
80 Minutes, 15 Positions, No Protection, Wanna Ruck?
Ruck Me, Maul Me, Make Me Scrum!
Education is Important, but Rugby is Importanter!
Why is it as soon as the Wallabies start going good that some one in the squad has to set themselves some lofty objective? They're a long way off of becoming the best in the world.
It was the same after they got well beaten in the Rugby Championship, had one good one against the Argies & suddenly all the talk was of grand slams. Only to be beaten by the poms first up.
I know things have improved & every one needs to set the bar a little higher. Why don't they focus on a high level of consistency & intensity & if not winning, challenging in every game they play, who ever the opposition.
I do believe they've just about turned the corner with Link. But let's take it little by little & get our shit right for the RWC
Great game, Fucken battled right through to the 80!
To be fair he simply said that it could put them into position to be the best in the world. I think that's always what they should be aiming at.
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When are you lot going to learn that refs don't give a shit who wins. If there was a Wales must Win attitude why did he award the try after looking for a Forward pass? Or penalise the Aussies when Halfpenny seemed to be take. Out in the air (but replays show Barnes was right and his back foot had just got to ground). Try opening your other eye when watching rugby will you.
Between Gatland complaining about the forward pass which wasn't (hands are going backwards) and Kearns making a cock of himself by wondering how the Aussies were so bad at giving away penalties and Wales were not (how did he miss the fact that Horwill almost never released or rolled away as tackler), it shows that the watching public are becoming more ignorant of the game and how it is to be played. whilst for once I thought the in game commentators for once actually did a very good job, praising both sides for good play and explaining well what was happening.
Wayne Barnes had a very good game, the try for Australia was correct, and all YC's were correct. I would agree that it was a light YC, but his actions prevented a player getting the ball close to the goal line. I don't believe Quade did it deliberately, but just got his timing wrong.
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Last edited by RugbyRef; 03-12-13 at 07:15.
Wrong. Yellow Cards are for foul play that is either deliberate or takes away an attacking opportunity, or for repeat offences by the team. At this level timing is everything, and the players know it.
If a Welsh player didn't get a card for the same offence I bet the debate here would have been that he should have.
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