“He’s an outstanding player first of all, he has a great impact on a game, as the back row needs to do, and he’s done that throughout the competition”, Hooper said.
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Michael Cheika is never too far from the action but he was forced to wind back the clock at training as the Wallabies deal with an injury crisis ahead of their World Cup semi-final against Argentina.
“It’s a World Cup semifinal, it’s not like we’re keeping anyone for next week”, Cheika told a news conference Friday, six hours before he announced the team.
The only disappointing element of an otherwise pleasing injury bulletin was prop Scott Sio’s failure to recover from his elbow complaint, so James Slipper starts at loosehead.
On Friday, former Wallabies captain Stirling Mortlock addressed the elephant in the room of Australian rugby when he admitted the World Cup hinged on Pocock’s ability to overcome a calf strain.
Sio, instrumental in helping restore confidence to Australia’s wonky scrum, was replaced in the starting lineup by James Slipper, who earns his 73rd test cap, a record for an Australian prop.
Slipper faces a strong shot at redemption following his horror intercept pass to Scotland’s Mark Bennett almost ended the Wallabies’ campaign.
Neither player trained fully this week, with Pocock confined to a bicycle and Folau spending more time in ice than on the training paddock.
Australia, world champions in 1991 and 1999, go into Sunday’s match as slight favourites and while Cheika is confident of winning he said there was no complacency in his team whatsoever.
“We are looking forward to the Argentinian challenge and also guessing what they will bring to the party”, said Hooper.
The remainder of the line-up is unchanged from Australia’s quarter-final clash with Scotland, with Kurtley Beale waiting to start at fullback should he be needed and Ben McCalman bracketed with Pocock in the back row.
“He thought about what the team strategy could be there, put a great kick in there and gave us a few field position to try and put a few pressure on the opponent”.
15 Israel Folau, 14 Adam Ashley-Cooper, 13 Tevita Kuridrani, 12 Matt Giteau, 11 Drew Mitchell, 10 Bernard Foley, 9 Will Genia, 8 David Pocock, 7 Michael Hooper, 6 Scott Fardy, 5 Rob Simmons, 4 Kane Douglas, 3 Sekope Kepu, 2 Stephen Moore (captain), 1 James Slipper.
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“I’m not hopeful, I am really positive about him”, he said. Reserves: Tatafu Polota-Nau, Toby Smith, Greg Holmes, Dean Mumm, Ben McCalman, Nick Phipps, Matt Toomua, Kurtley Beale.
