Quade Cooper expects Australia to be among the title contenders in France, despite a heavy loss to the world-champion Springboks in Eddie Jones’ first game back in charge.
The Wallabies made a disastrous start to head coach Jones’ second stint at the helm, as the Boks mauled the visitors 43-12 in the Rugby Championship opener at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday.
Jones went into the weekend’s clash upbeat about the Aussies’ chances, yet made no excuses for his team’s poor performance during a post-match press conference in which he also lashed out at a local journalist.
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Cooper, who had a forgettable first Test back since an Achilles injury nearly 12 months ago, was quoted by media Down Under saying that the defeat to the Boks was the first step in a “journey” to lifting the Webb Ellis Cup under Jones.
“With every journey, it’s never smooth sailing. Under Eddie’s guidance, we will work towards that goal, which is to be World Cup champions,” said the veteran flyhalf, who also posted a message on social media.
“Any loss is obviously a tough pill to swallow. There’s a hell of a lot of lessons in that game.
“As a team, we haven’t had a lot of time together. It’s continuing to build our combinations the way we want to play and build belief and clarity in that.”
growth isn’t only found in the moments of victory.. it emerges from the depths of challenging moments. It’s in those difficult moments that we discover our strength, resilience, and determination. When faced with obstacles, we have a choice: to retreat or to press forward.. ❤️
— Quade Cooper (@QuadeCooper) July 8, 2023
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