Cooper injured as Rebels win again

Quade Cooper was stretchered off Ballymore with a neck injury as the Melbourne Rebels produced a shock 18-13 trial upset of the Queensland Reds last night.

Cooper suffered a jolting hit from behind in the final minute of the match to bring a long halt to play and hush over the ground as a dozen medics and officials tended him.

The Wallabies playmaker allayed some fears of a serious injury in the dressing room but was to undergo scans as a precaution and is in doubt for next week’s Super Rugby opener against the Brumbies in Canberra.

Coach Richard Graham dismissed any concerns about concussion which would almost certainly sideline him for round one. ‘‘He’s all right,’’ said Graham. ‘‘I had a chat to him and he’s in good spirits but it (scans) is one of those things we have to do.

‘‘My expectation is that he will (play the Brumbies). He’s come off, he’s alert, he’s talking, he’s disappointed.’’

The incident happened just after Cooper off-loaded in his own quarter and suffered a jolting tackle from behind.

‘‘He was facing away from where the ball was and someone has got him with a shoulder in the middle of the back,’’ Graham said.

The injury left a pall over the final pre-season encounter and took attention away from the vastly-improved Melbourne outfit.

The Rebels, who beat NSW and the Hurricanes in the past fortnight, completed a pre-season sweep.