Cooper to make first start in seven months

AUSTRALIAN playmaker Quade Cooper will start his first game in nearly seven months on Saturday after a major knee surgery, opening the door for a possible return to the Wallabies for their Wales series.

Cooper, 24, limped out of the World Cup in New Zealand last October after rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament in the third-place playoff against Wales, which led to a knee reconstruction that has sidelined him since.

But the mercurial flyhalf was named yesterday to start for the Queensland Reds in their Super Rugby clash with the struggling Lions in Brisbane, having missed the opening 12 rounds.

Cooper came under intense scrutiny at the World Cup and was regularly booed while playing in his native New Zealand, where he was cast as a villain for coming to blows with All Blacks captain Richie McCaw ahead of the tournament.

But with that and his injury now behind him, he is raring to go.

“It has been a long six-plus months on the sideline and I know I’ve done everything I can to tick all the boxes during my rehab and have been as diligent as possible to ensure I am ready to return,” said Cooper.

Reds coach Ewen Mckenzie said the team would be lifted by Cooper’s presence, with the enigmatic player’s attacking flair a key ingredient in Queensland’s charge to the Super Rugby title last year.

“There’s no denying Quade has enormous x-factor but for him this match is about getting back out on the field and getting comfortable again within the match-day environment,” said Mckenzie.

How Cooper fares will be closely watched by Wallabies coach Robbie Deans with Australia meeting Scotland on June 5 before playing Six Nations champions Wales in a three-test series from June 9.

With James O’connor also sidelined by injury, Kurtley Beale has been seen as the frontrunner to pull on Cooper’s number 10 jersey for Australia.

Cooper insisted his focus was only on Saturday, and not national selection.

“My focus is solely getting out there this weekend and playing good footy,” he said. “If those things [the Wallabies] arise, we’ll think about them when they come.” — SAPA-AFP