Ignorance is bliss

Kieran Read doesn’t care which Wallabies squad members take the field at Westpac Stadium; he just wants to play footy.

Whether he’s been talked up, down or even ignored Quade Cooper is an intriguing figure. Except to the the All Blacks.

Or at least that’s what New Zealand captain Kieran Read said after the team’s final pre-match hitout at a very wet Westpac Stadium in Wellington.

The forecast is for fine weather when the All Blacks host the Wallabies there tonight, where Cooper and the reaction of everyone to him will be a talking point.

‘‘Really, it’s a non-issue for us as a squad. We’re here to play footy against whoever it is,’’ Read said of Cooper.

The Wallabies first-five can play, which is why he first came to the attention of fans in this country. But once Cooper began to get involved in off-the-ball tussles with Richie McCaw, any admiration for him turned to animosity.

McCaw Is no longer All Blacks captain and, as Read noted, many of the side who’ll run out in Wellington weren’t around for any of those incidents with Cooper.

‘‘It’s just another name on the team sheet,’’ Read said.

That remains to be seen. If Cooper gets up to any of is old Bledisloe Cup tricks such as putting kickoffs out on the full or shelling passes or getting sinbinned, then chances are someone will remark upon it. Probably even an All Black.

Read is right to point the team towards the bigger picture. There’s a trophy to be won here.

There’s a suspicion the All Blacks don’t rate the Wallabies after last week’s 42-8 win in Sydney and the team have certainly spent much of the time since trying to convince themselves that tonight represents a massive challenge. But if that’s not enough to focus the mind, then the lure of securing the Bledisloe Cup should.

‘‘We’re a pretty proud bunch and the Bledisloe Cup means a lot to us so obviously we’ve got to do a job for us to hang onto it. It’s never easy backing up a great performance and we’re looking to go out there and do that and really just stamp our mark on the game,’’ Read said.