The Wallabies are sweating on the fitness of star fly half Quade Cooper after he sat out of Friday’s captain’s run ahead of the TriNations opening against the Springboks.
Cooper has been suffering from flu and gastro but the Wallabies team doctor doesn’t believe that the symptoms are bad enough for him to miss his first Test of the year.
Wallabies captain Rocky Elsom said the Wallabies had made the correct call by keeping Cooper wrapped up as Sydney has been suffering from relentless rain.
“If he’s not feeling that well, it’s best that he just gets better and feels better tomorrow,” Elsom said.
“It was probably a good move not to train, but I think he’ll be fine tomorrow.”
Elsom is so confident that Cooper will play that he said the Wallabies have not even discussed a possible replacement in the Australian backline.
Cooper was well enough top join his team mates at lunch but during the training run fullback Kurtley Beale and winger James O’Connor both ran at five-eighth with no other player joining the backline.
“It was alright. You’ve got to be able to deal with that,” Elsom told AAP.
If Cooper does play the wet weather in Sydney may prevent coach Robbie Deans from moving Cooper to fullback at times in defence a ploy that allows him to launch counter attacks.
“Quade is a good enough player to be able to adapt to the conditions,” Elsom said.
“He’s no veteran, but he’s played a fair bit so he’ll know what he’s doing, (no matter) where he’s playing.”
Skyt soos ‘n reier…. hehehe
Jippoooooooooooooooooo Gutsssssssssssssss!
Hy’s besig om AF te kak… reguit grond toe….. hehehe
Moenie probeer poep nie Quade…. hehehe
Must say, the weather looks absolutely shitty there in Sydney…. has to suit a tighter game, therefore it has to suit the Bokke.
pffrrrtt…. oops
As dit reen en Quade speel nie, het die B-okke geen verskonings nie.
Current weather conditions in Sydney: poured with rain all night; non-stop deluge.
We have experienced the wettest July since 1950.
Conditions tonight are going to suit the Boks to a tee. No drainage system at any stadium can possibly cope with this amount of water. It has been relentless.
6@ Old Griquas 14 in Sydney:
Looks like its a lot drier your way now with not much more rain on the cards for today and probably dry for the game but as you say it depends how the field has coped with all the rain thats already fallen, hopefully its not too soggy underfoot otherwise going to make for messy scrums. Going for the Boks to win by 5!
So do I assume we can expect a 10 man game plan from both sides?
If so, should definetly favour the Boks.
Now, if my feekin client can get here, finish his k@k and F off, I can go home and watch the game.
Really don’t fancy watching a live stream on this steam powered pc with 20mb of hard drive and 128k of Ram. Might not be so lekker!
@ Bullscot:
G’day Bullscot, rain stopped mid afternoon. I watched Berrick Barnes go around in a Sydney club game this afternoon, in his first match back after an 8 week break. Field conditions were atrocious.
ANZ Stadium looks good on TV, but we’ve had over 270mls of rain since Tuesday, so that water will still be around.
Your prediction of the boks by 5 might prove to be spot on. This boks side can’t be underestimated. My tip is the Wallabies by 10. Wallabies have too much to prove tonight; I think they will go all out for a win.
John Smit just interviewed on nightly news. What a great ambassador for SA he is. Saffas can be well proud of their national captain, in my view.
@ Scrumdown:
Hey scrummie, howzit? I don’t expect much of a running game tonight. I think you are right: expect to see Morne Steyn kick the daylights out of it.
9@ Old Griquas 14 in Sydney:
I once interrupted John in the middle of a meal with a friend when he was injured. It was the evening the Boks had been booed off Kings Park after loosing to the Aussies in 2008.
We were staying at the same hotel as the Boks and had a guest from the UK who desperately wanted John to sign a cap for his son back home, but was too shy to ask.
The restaurant was quiet so I just walked up to John’s table, explained the situation, and John was only too pleased to autograph the cap.
My guest was gobsmacked that the (albeit injured) Bok captain would be so accommodating, stating that if it was in the UK it would never have happened.
Incidents like that show just what a good people person Smit is. He may not be the best hooker in SA anymore, but it’ll be a long time before we have such an articulate captain capable of commanding respect like he does.
@ Old Griquas 14 in Sydney:
Howzit OG.
Let’s hope the Boks can catch the wet and slippery pill! Then Steyn can kick it as much as he likes.
SAFFAS don’t actually give a hoot how the Boks win, as long as they win. 10 man Rugby, 15 man Rugby of even 3 man Rugby. It really doesn’t matter.
My team (Golden Lions) playing your old team in Kby today. I tipped the Lions to win by 10, but maybe my heart is ruling my head again.
It certainly won’t be wet there.
@ Scrumdown:
Go the Griquas. Certainly no wet weather rugby in Kby mate. You put a smile on my face with that comment.
@ Scrumdown:
John is a fine ambassador for SA and also rugby in general.
@ Old Griquas 14 in Sydney:14 –
@ Scrumdown:11 –
So good to hear good things said about John. I have met him once and he is just the most humble person ever. A true gent. Doubt we will see a Bok captain like him again very soon. Well it will take years.
Also great to read the good words about him coming from a Australian. Thanks OldG.
On every other blog you read such rubbish said about him. Just not fair and no respect to him is quite sad to read about a really good person, that has done his country proud and will do everything asked of him for his team.
Our best Bok Captain ever.
So to both of you thanks for those great posts about John.
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