“You never know what is going to happen out there, so you have to prepare for the worst. We have a strong culture here and a strong group of men that have built pretty sure strong traits. It is like a brotherhood where we will put our body on the line for each other, so i think that helps out on the field.”
Utility back Reece Hodge said he doesn’t believe the modern game is any more dangerous than usual but luck is a key factor.
James O’Connor is vying with Noah Lolesio for the no.10 jersey.Credit:Getty
“Every squad goes through periods where they are unlucky,” he said.
“Some teams get lucky through periods and they win, but the best teams win when they are going through periods that are quite tough.
We have gone through one over the last two or three months but the fact we are developing great depth in the squad, and the next-man-up mentality we are developing, that will go a long way to hopefully getting performances together that we can be proud of.
“But also the most important thing in Test match rugby is winning matches.”
The choice for Cooper’s replacement will end up being between Noah Lolesio and James O’Connor. The former has runs on the board from the recent England series but O’Connor has finally shaken off some niggling injuries and is desperate for a chance to return to the Wallabies team.
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“We have two world-class No.10s,” Hodge said. “Noah steered us to a series win against France last year and was very solid in that England series as well.
“James O’Connor has played 50-plus caps for his country and his form at the start of the season with the Reds was outstanding, he was probably one of the best players in the competition.
“So we have two really good options there.”
Watch every match of The Rugby Championship on the Home of Rugby, Stan Sport. Continue this weekend with South Africa v All Blacks (Sunday 12.30am AEST) and Argentina v Wallabies (Sunday 4.45am AEST). All matches streaming ad-free, live and on demand on Stan Sport.