Hunt out for surgery but no room for Cooper
WALLABIES rugby union coach Michael Cheika plans to fly to Brisbane to sit down with Quade Cooper in the next month in the wake of his Bledisloe Cup snub.
Australia yesterday suffered a midfield blow when Karmichael Hunt was ruled out for two months after having ankle surgery, leaving the Wallabies’ midfield stocks thin.
Cheika still refuses to recall Cooper, who is holidaying in Bali.
“We knew when we picked the squad (Hunt) had been injured in the game, Karmichael is filling a different role there, he’s filling a 12 or back-three player,” Cheika said.
“Kurtley Beale has got that covered with the 10s, we’re working on a few other ideas.
“I’m happy enough with the players we have here now; I don’t think we need to bring anyone.
“Of course when Quade starts playing again, we’ll be straight on to having a look.
“I’ll go up between now and then to talk over the things we spoke about around the play, but I’m pretty comfortable with the players we have here now, they’re in a good zone and training hard,” Cheika said.
It is expected Cooper will have to play for Brisbane City in the National Rugby Championship starting September to earn a recall to the Wallabies.
Beale and Reece Hodge are the only firm inside centre options for the games against the All Blacks on August 19 in Sydney, and August 26 in Dunedin.
Bernard Foley is the only full-time flyhalf in the training squad, and if he is injured Beale will replace him at No.10.
Hunt made his Test debut in June and started all three Tests for the Wallabies against Fiji, Scotland and Italy.
He would have been a sound option to stop the Kiwi attacking threats of Sonny Bill Williams and Ngani Laumape, who play the inside centre position.
Beale trained separately from the main group yesterday, as he continued his rehabilitation from a hamstring injury he suffered in May with English club Wasps.
“We’re just taking the precautions to get him back into the right condition and I’d say after this week he’ll be back in full training,” Cheika said.
Hunt’s Queensland teammate, winger Eto Nabuli, who made his Test debut in June, has a knee injury which rules him out of the entire Rugby Championship.
Hooker Tolu Latu is also on the injury list, as he remains troubled by a pinched nerve in his neck.