Wallabies playmaker Quade Cooper admits it is not ideal losing against the Springboks in the opening round of the Rugby Championship as they did but insists the team are looking forward.
It was a horror start to the second Eddie Jones era with the Wallabies who were resoundingly beaten 41-12 in Pretoria by a powerful Springboks.
The goal remains the same
The performance certainly did not match the hype that had been building around Australian rugby since Jones’ return but Cooper underlined that the goal of winning the Rugby World Cup has not changed for the Wallabies.
“We want to win every game. No doubt. It’s a performance industry,” Cooper told reporters. “The reality is we’re playing against the best team in the world. The World Cup final is months away. This is the first step in that journey. With every journey, it’s never smooth sailing. Under Eddie’s guidance, we will work towards that goal, which is to be World Cup champions.
“Any loss is obviously a tough pill to swallow. There’s a hell of a lot of lessons in that game. It’s a very tough place to play and history will tell you that. You can look at it as brutal or you can look at it as an opportunity.”
When asked about next week’s intensity, Cooper deflected the question to Jones but insists that it is all about consistency and continuity in preparation.
“You’ll have to ask Eddie that. He understands that we played against the world champions in a place that hardly anybody has won. Some of Australia’s best teams have played there and haven’t conquered that hurdle,” he said.
“As a team, we haven’t had a lot of time together. It’s continuing to build our combinations the way we want to play and build belief and clarity in that.”
Self-reflection
Cooper himself had not played much rugby this season after being sidelined with a ruptured Achilles for most of it and it showed as he was not performing at his best standards.
The retreating Wallabies pack did not help the situation, but Cooper insists it was a good step back for him.
“I don’t think it was a poor performance,” he said. “I haven’t played Test footy in a year and it was great being back out there. For me, it’s about the consistency of preparation. I’m looking forward to the next game, whatever my role may be.”
Argentina Test
Attention now shifts to Argentina this weekend for a completely different clash. Los Pumas also come off a big loss, making for an intriguing match-up.
“South Africa and Argentina are totally different in the way they play the game,” Cooper said.
“Argentina showed some great skill and the way they want to move the ball. There was a passage of play where they held onto the ball for 13 or 14 phases running out of their 22. I think they kicked the ball three times in the second half. It shows their intent to attack and hold the ball and starve you of possession.
“For us, it’ll be about matching them up front physically and being able to get the ball off them. If they’re going to hold the ball for multiple phases, then we muscle up and defend our end of the field to the best of our ability.”
READ MORE: Rugby Championship: Five takeaways from Springboks v Wallabies clash as Eddie Jones left with a lot to ponder
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