Cooper unleashes his inner SBW

Welcome back Quade, we’ve missed you.

What’s that you say? Have you taken leave of your senses? Aren’t you the same bloke who has been on the anti-quade Cooper side of the fence for years now? Guilty as charged.

But there were two moments during the Brumbies v Rebels game on Friday night that filled the heart full of joy.

Was it the No 10’s understated play, his appreciation of space and the rekindling of his famous relationship with Will Genia?

Bugger that. It was when he patted Joe Powell’s curly blond locks in the most patron- ising fashion possible and then taunted the Brumbies crowd with a ‘‘be quiet’’ gesture at the final whistle.

Quade’s back. He’s never going to change, even if he is in his third decade now.

Hero, villain, clown: he plays all the roles. And there has possibly never been a time when Australian rugby needs him more.

People will watch him now. They’ll read all the headlines after that Rebels win and they’ll make the effort to find out when the Rebels play next and they’ll tune in.

That’s why you had to forgive some of the extraordinary praise dished out to Cooper during the game in commentary.

Greg Martin was one step away from declaring that Beauden Barrett isn’t fit to lace Cooper’s boots, but Greg Martin probably doesn’t even believe half the stuff that Greg Martin says. He just sounded delighted to be talking about someone who makes things interesting again.

Never mind that this Rebels side is really the little general Genia’s team.

Never mind that No 12 Billy Meakes showed every bit as much as skill as Cooper during the game, including the final kickpass to Jack Maddocks that killed off a disappointing Brumbies side.

No, this was all about Cooper and we shouldn’t be precious about that.

Those who didn’t see the game will be craving feedback about what Cooper did.

For a start, he looked bigger. Not massively bulked up, but certainly a few kilograms heavier and capable of absorbing the rampaging Tevita Kuridrani in the early exchanges.

Second, he took the ball to the line.

The myth persists that Cooper’s issues with Robbie Deans at the selection table started with his defence. That was only part of it, and probably the lesser concern.

The real issue was a reluctance to engage defences, but in Canberra he thought he was his mate Sonny Bill Williams.

He crashed it up off one flat Genia pass and rarely passed without committing a defender.

Third, he chewed off metres with the boot when it needed to be done and nailed a handy goalkick or two.

There were errors. Of course there were. He still can’t tackle. He waved Kuridrani through on one occasion and hit Pete Samu around the neck with a trademark high shot.

But even those moments are part of the show: foibles that his supporters refuse to see and his critics can’t see beyond.

Insular Kiwis will point out that Cooper’s performance against the Brumbies means nothing.

It’s all fuel on the fire.

Australian rugby desperately needs a good storyline this year. The game is full of great people, earnest in their intention of lifting the game from the doldrums, but it also needs a Quade Cooper to make things interesting.