Chip on shoulder fueling Ashley-Cooper’s World Cup fire
MELBOURNE: The thatch of grey hair swept back from the forehead of Adam AshleyCooper is one of the more obvious reminders of the longevity of one of the most versatile players to ever pull on the gold Australia jersey.
The man nicknamed “Mr Fix-it”, for filling holes in the Wallabies backline, has been given another job in Japan where he will be only the second Australian player ever to reach four World Cups.
At 35, Ashley-Cooper will be among the oldest players running around in search of a trophy that has eluded twice champions Australia since 1999.
Such devotion to a cause is inspiring, but for the player, it may also be a sign of some kind of madness.
“I think when I got to Japan, and after a few years of being an outsider looking in and watching the guys, there was something there that was driving me to get back here and give it a crack,” said AshleyCooper, who arrived in the country in 2017 to play for Top League side Kobelco Steelers.
“Not a voice. Maybe a screw loose.”
Ashley-Cooper already holds a special place in Wallabies fans’ hearts as a test centurion with 37 tries, equal third all-time in the nation’s honour roll of scorers.
Three of the five-pointers came in the semi-final against Argentina at the 2015 World Cup in England, when Michael Cheika’s unfancied team made a surprise run to the final.
Although beaten by the All Blacks for the Webb Ellis Cup, the Wallabies were hailed on home shores for a brave tournament and Ashley-Cooper was farewelled fondly the following year when he departed for France.