Quade Cooper returns to competitive rugby – Rugby News Update
Quade Cooper, the 24-year-old Queensland Reds and Australian fly-half has made his return from an anterior cruciate ligament injury. He last played a competitive rugby match at the 2011 Rugby World Cup against Wales for the bronze medal.
The Wallabies fly-half was naturally ecstatic at making a comeback to professional rugby, having been out for several months.
"Running out in front of a big home crowd was a lot of fun, and it was a big pat on the back for the big road I've come from," Cooper said following the game. "When you've got a good team, a good morale and a good game plan it's always easy to go out there
and do your part and that's all I had to do.”
With Australia hosting the Welsh and Scottish rugby teams in the summer, there is a high chance that the Kiwi born Australian player will be able to feature for the national side, and add more caps to the 35 that he has earned so far.
Speak about his selection for the Test squad ahead of the summer tour he said, "If I continue to progress and continue to keep stepping up a level each week then I'll definitely be putting my hand up for (Test) selection but in the same regard it's totally
out of my control."
The 6ft 1 inch player has had a phenomenal rise in Australian rugby. Having started his first game for the Reds as a teenager in the Super 14, he earned his first international cap as a 20-year-old against Italy at Padova, on November 8, 2008, scoring a
try on his debut to win the game for the Wallabies.
His starts kept rising for the national team and the Reds. He started every Super 14 game for his club, along with adding 4 more caps for Australia. In total he has played 35 times for his country, starting 29 times and coming on as a substitute a further
6 times.
At the moment he is focused on securing victories for the Reds, and if he keeps playing well then an international re-call will not be far away for the mercurial talent.
Tags: