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Commonwealth Games 2022: Peter Bol in 800m final result, Aussie knew race was compromised

Commonwealth Games 2022: Peter Bol in 800m final result, Aussie knew race was compromised

Peter Bol took one look at the start list and knew he wasn’t going to get the race he wanted.

But rather than fret he made a decision to overcome it — and he very nearly did in a thrilling men’s 800m final at the Commonwealth Games on Monday morning (AEST).

The 28-year-old was still smiling after he took the silver medal, but there will always be a part of him that looks back at his incredible achievement as “bittersweet”.

Bol described the race as “strange” and was left lamenting the tactics at play that resulted in the first 500m being run ultra-slow.

It was playing out as he expected — not in his favour.

Bol told reporters after the race he knew it was going to be a slow race because there were no front-runners anywhere on the start list.

It meant he was unable to run the race he wanted as he took just a brief moment to respond when Kenyan Wyclife Kinyamal took off with more than 200m to go. That brief, micro delay was all it took in the end as Kinyamal, the defending champion, won by just 0.14 seconds in a time of 1:47.52.

It will be particularly painful for Bol to see his time of 1:47.66 after he ran a 1:47.01 in the heats — and a 1:45.51 at the world championships in Oregon last month.

“Looking at the start list and there’s no frontrunners out there,” he said.

“So I just knew it was going to be tactical and I knew I just had to come home strong and that’s what I did so I’m happy with that.

“After the first lap, and I’ve been saying it, it’s so tactical… I saw 55 (seconds) and I said to myself, ‘Stay relaxed, stay relaxed’.

“Maybe in 20 more meters I could have got him. But it’s the 800m not the 820m.”

Bol looked like he was about to go up alongside Kinyamal with 50m to run, but he just didn’t have the legs to keep his charge going.

Bol, who became a cult hero en route to his fourth-placed finish at last year’s Olympic final, was hoping to become the first Australian in 40 years to win 800m gold.

“What an environment and atmosphere, so close but will take second today,” Bol told Channel 7. “I’m pretty happy with that, to be honest. It was a strange race again, super slow but the 800m is super tactical.

“I thought, stay relaxed, stay relaxed but he (Kinyamal) is so strong and kept going and going. It’s just racing, I raced the best I could and came up short but … silver medal in the Commonwealth Games, we are second which is really good.

“We speak of this journey and we have different people from different years, I want to say a massive thanks to my family, especially my parents… I’m so grateful for them. This is for them, this is for my family, this is for the country.

“There’s a kid out there with a Peter Bol sign so definitely for him. I have to go find him.”

Seven commentator Bruce McAvaney said the race started on a “sluggish” note and Tamsyn Manou agreed, adding: “It is slower than we would have liked.”

At the conclusion of the race, Manou said: “Peter Bol did everything he possibly could there, he got into the right position, he covered… when Kinyamal made that move.

“Peter has still done us proud. People expected him to win that gold but we are talking about an athlete (Kinyamal) who is the defending champion and there is nothing more Peter Bol could have done.

“I hope everyone in Australia is very proud of Peter Bol, because we certainly are.”

England’s Ben Pattison was third in 1:48.25sec.

Bol embarrassed the rest of the field in the heats of the men’s 800m with an imperious run on Wednesday. He then had five agonizing days to wait for Monday’s end.

The Olympics finalist won his heat and was the fastest overall qualifier despite pulling up with 50m still to run.

Bol last month had a disappointing run in the world championships final after he became the first Australian man to ever contest an 800m final at the World Champs.

Earlier, Abbey Caldwell produced a huge shock when she collected the bronze in the women’s 1500m. The 21-year-old just nudged out fellow Aussie Linden Hall.

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Prince Andrew’s pay-off to sex accuser Virginia Giuffre ‘was as little as $5.2 million’ despite reports of $21 million

Prince Andrew's pay-off to sex accuser Virginia Giuffre 'was as little as $5.2 million' despite reports of $21 million

Prince Andrew’s pay-off to sex abuse accuser Virginia Giuffre was as little as a quarter of the reported $21 million.

sources told The Sun his lawyers negotiated a cut-price deal of $5.2 million-to-$8.74 million.

That was as much money the disgraced Duke could scrape together quickly to halt her civil lawsuit.

It may explain why Ms Giuffre, 38, was not forced to sign a gagging order as part of the deal — and is now free to write a “tell-all” book, which she promises to do.

It comes after The Sun revealed last week that Andrew and his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson have bought an $8.74 million house in London’s swanky Mayfair — despite complaining about being strapped for cash.

A source said: “It was thought, and widely reported, that Virginia got a settlement of £12 million (A$21 million) from Andrew, but that’s not right.

“It was far less than that, as low as £3 million (A$5.2 million).

“No doubt this will have influenced the conditions of the agreement that she was prepared to sign.”

Ms Giuffre, a victim of sex trafficking at the hands of paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein, claimed Andrew sexually abused her when she was 17.

Although the agreement, reached in February, contained no formal admission of liability or apology from Andrew, it said he accepted Ms Giuffre was a “victim of abuse” and regretted his association with Epstein.

A spokeswoman for Prince Andrew was approached for comment.

This article originally appeared in The Sun and was reproduced with permission.

Read related topics:Prince Andrew

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Commonwealth Games 2022: Hockeyroos vs England final, Heartbreak for Australia

Commonwealth Games 2022: Hockeyroos vs England final, Heartbreak for Australia

The Hockeyroos picked a bad time to start granting goals.

The Aussies have been denied gold at the Commonwealth Games after England came out firing in the final on Monday morning (AEST).

The tough loss extends the Hockeyroos’ eight-year drought in major championships.

The Hockeyroos have not won a Commonwealth Games, Olympic Games or World Cup since the Glasgow Games in 2014.

It is back-to-back silver medals for the Aussies after New Zealand also stunned them in the final four years ago.

It was a heartbreaking result for the Hockeyroos, who fought so bravely against a wild home crowd in Birmingham.

In the end, they were left to rue a second quarter where England scored two crucial goals. That was enough for England to win 2-1, relegating the Aussies to the silver medal.

It was the first time England has ever won hockey gold at the Commonwealth Games.

Former Hockeyroos star Georgie Parker said Australia just didn’t have the firepower up front to get back into the contest after they fell behind.

“Australia were just a little bit off it today,” she said in commentary on Channel 7.

“Besides our first opening matches it has been hard for us to score. We’ve had just four goals in the last three matches. And that was the thing that’s happened here. Australia not able to get the win today, but it was not without effort.”

The Hockeyroos were on the back foot in the first quarter and had to defend three consecutive corners to keep the scores locked at 0-0 at quarter-time.

However, the Aussies finally conceded — for the first time in the entire tournament — when Holly Hunt popped up unmarked in the circle and tapped in a goal.

England had a second just a few minutes later when Tess Howard deflected a shot at close range. The goal came after Penny Squibb failed to track an England runner, allowing the opposition to get inside the circle.

It was very nearly game over in the third quarter when England hit the post from a penalty corner, but Australia still had a heartbeat heading into the fourth quarter trailing 2-0.

The Hockeyroos’ moment arrived with five minutes to go when they earned a penalty corner, but there was simply no getting past England keeper Madeleine Hinch.

They were doing everything they could and started improvising attacking moves to try and unsettle the English defence. Nothing worked.

“It’s chaos. Absolute chaos,” Parker said.

“I like that they are doing a variation there. Straight penalties haven’t gone to plan. They just have not been able to score them. They’re working around and it looks like a bunch of tired girls there.”

Australia scored a late consolation goal through Rosie Malone with 19 seconds remaining, but it was not enough to make England nervous before the final whistle was blown.

The Aussies had moved through to the final after a blockbuster semi-final win over India that exploded in controversy.

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Rita Ora’s fiance sparks rumors they’ve secretly married as he wears ‘wedding ring’ in new snap

Rita Ora's fiance sparks rumors they've secretly married as he wears 'wedding ring' in new snap

Rita Ora’s fiance Taika Waititi has sparked rumors they couple have married after the filmmaker was seen wearing what appeared to be a wedding band.

Taika, 46, was seen wearing a piece of jewelery on his left finger while lapping up the rays and having a drink, in a picture snapped by Rita’s sister Elena, The Sun reports.

Ora started dating the Thor: Ragnarök Director Taika 18 months ago.

She opted to share the photo too, but decided to cover Waititi’s ring finger with a caption that read: “Perfect day for a bev @avaline Thank you @camerondiaz.”

Taika could be seen sporting a white patterned shirt and white sunglasses as he lapped up the sun and poured a glass of wine.

The ring snap follows reports that Ora and Waititi are preparing a low-key ceremony before a glitzy celebration later in the summer.

a pal awning The Sun that: “This isn’t about them doing a big showy thing and crowding about it beforehand. It’s just about them being in love and deciding the time is right to formalize their relationship.

“They couldn’t be happier.”

The pair moved back to the UK and into a very impressive London mansion.

Ora has spent much of the past two years in Los Angeles and Australia and wore a black sports top and overcoat in snaps as she lugged bottles of water, while New Zealander Waititi was in a denim jacket, baseball cap and shades.

They later held hands while strolling to a pub near the North London property Ora bought for £8 million (A$11.5 million) last year.

An onlooker said: “It’s unusual to see Rita in the neighborhood these days – she bought the house but left the country almost immediately afterwards and has barely spent any time there.

“But they were shopping for things and loading bits in and it’s obvious this is going to be where they call home, at least for a while.

“They’re a very jetsetting couple, and have homes all over the place, but it felt as though this was quite a permanent move watching their behaviour.”

This article originally appeared on The Sun and was republished with permission

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Commonwealth Games 2022 boxing results: Callum Peters vs Sam Hickey final, Aussie robbed

Commonwealth Games 2022 boxing results: Callum Peters vs Sam Hickey final, Aussie robbed

Aussie teen star Callum Peters has been “robbed” of gold after another farcical judging decision at the Commonwealth Games.

The Aussie, competing in his first senior tournament, showed nothing but class after the judges scores were announced with Scotland’s Sam Hickey being awarded the victory by the narrowest of margins.

The rollercoaster middleweight final was arguably the best fight of the entire Games.

However, it was overshadowed by the controversial finish which ended in a split decision 29-28 x3, 28-29 x2.

The greatest shock was the decision from judge No. 5 Mazlan Amzah to award Hickey the final round when all the other judges gave it to Peters. Peters had dominated the final round, repeatedly landing clean shots in the final minutes. That perplexing decision to award Hickey the final round ultimately decided the fight.

Peters just had to settle for silver.

Aussie sport commentators could not believe their eyes.

Sports reporter Phil Lutton posted on Twitter Peters had been “burgled”.

“That doesn’t look right at all to me,” I posted.

“Callum Peters gets the final round on four of the five cards but it’s not enough.”

He also posted: “Fair play to Sam Hickey, very tough Scot, but Callum Peters just burgled of gold there. One point the difference in the end, Peters absolutely dominant in that final round and one of the five judges gives it to the Hickey. Boxing delivers again.”

Hickey celebrated Scotland’s first boxing gold medal since 2014.

Fox Sports reporter Alex Conrad wrote on Twitter: “Sorry, WTF? Callum Peters robbed in that final boxing. Absolutely robbed. That is mind-boggling”.

The BBC’s Thomas Duncan also said the fight could have gone either way.

“There was a hug of mutual respect in the ring between Sam Hickey and Callum Peters in the ring there. What a fight that was, and it could have gone either way,” he said.

“But Hickey of Scotland is the Commonwealth champion. He puts his hands over his face, he ca n’t believe it. The crowd go wild.”

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schedule, events, times, medal tally, Australians in action, Michelle Jenneke, Peter Bol 800m race time, athletics, Australia vs England netball final

schedule, events, times, medal tally, Australians in action, Michelle Jenneke, Peter Bol 800m race time, athletics, Australia vs England netball final

Australia took home a stunning nine gold medals on Saturday and there are plenty more chances to add to the tally on Day 10 of the Commonwealth Games.

Foxsports.com.au has you covered with live updates from all the key events, which you can follow below!

DAY 9 WRAP: Aussies claim nine gold in staggering Commonwealth Games blitz

MEDAL TALLY: Aussies’ gold rush after Poms turn up heat in Comm Games race

Hoare bags SENSATIONAL 1500m Gold! | 00:32

AUSSIE WINS SILVER IN FIRST-EVER GAMES

In his first Commonwealth Games, Lin Ma has secured a silver medal for Australia in the men’s table tennis singles Classes 8-10.

Ma sadly lost to Wales’ Joshua Stacey, who won by three sets to two.

BAKER WINS GOLD!

Georgia Baker has won Australia’s first gold medal of the day after taking out the women’s road race in cycling.

It was a grueling race that pushed the six-strong Australian contingent to the brink, but Baker finished first over the line in what was her third gold medal in Birmingham.

Baker is joined on the podium by fellow Aussie Sarah Roy, who came third.

JUMPING JENNEKE JUST SHY OF PB IN HURDLES FINAL

Michelle Jenneke was unfortunately outclassed in the women’s 100m hurdles final, as Nigeria’s Tobi Amusan took home the gold medal.

Jenneke was right in the mix at the very start, but the heavy hitters eventually pulled away.

However, the Aussie was still all smiles after the race after finishing fifth with a time of 12.68.

Gold medal winner Amusan crossed the line at 12.30, setting a new Commonwealth Games record.

Celeste Mucci, the other Australian competing in the race, came second-last but gave everything she had in the final.

HEARTBREAK AS AUSSIE STAR HOSPITALISED

Australian cycling star Rohan Dennis has unfortunately been forced to withdraw from the men’s road race, joining Caleb Ewan on the sidelines.

An Aus Cycling statement read: “Rohan Dennis will take no further part in the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games following medical advice.

Dennis, who took gold in the Men’s Individual Time Trial on Thursday, woke up on Saturday morning in discomfort and was taken to a local hospital to undergo tests and observations.

As a precaution, Dennis was advised to withdraw from today’s road race, but remains comfortable and under observation.”

Australia’s six-man team for the event is now down to four, with Luke Durbridge, Luke Plapp, Miles Scotson and Sam Fox set to compete.

Australian Michelle Jenneke came fifth in the 100m hurdles final. Picture: Michael Klein
Australian Michelle Jenneke came fifth in the 100m hurdles final. Picture: Michael KleinSource: News Corp Australia

ATHLETICS

It all kicks off on the track with the men’s triple jump final, with Julian Konle competing at around 7.15pm.

Elsewhere, after Jemima Montag’s heroics in the women’s 10km race walk, fellow Australians Rhydian Cowley, Kyle Swan and Declan Tingay will also be going for gold in the men’s event at 8.20pm.

Tokyo 2020 Olympic bronze medalist Kelsey-Lee Barber will then be competing in the women’s javelin final at around 8.35pm (AEST).

Barber won bronze in the 2014 Commonwealth Games and silver in 2018, aiming to go one better this time around and claim gold.

She is in fine form, coming off a historic defense of her javelin world championships title in Eugene, Oregon.

Fellow Australian Mackenzie Little will also be competing for a medal in the final.

The men’s 4×100 relay final may have ended in heartbreak for Australia but the women will have a shot at a medal when they take to the track at 9.54pm.

Browning FALLS, relay goes begging! | 00:28

Of course, there will be plenty of support for peter bol too, who is competing in the men’s 800m final at around 4.35am.

Jessica Hull is also a strong chance at a medal when she competes in the women’s 1500m final alongside fellow Australians Abbey Caldwell and Linden Hall.

Caldwell and Hall progressed to the final after finishing inside the top four of their race with times of 4:13.59 and 4:14.08 respectively while Hull had a time of 4:16.13.

CRICKET

Australia won a thriller in the opening pool game against India but will they be able to get past their fierce rivals when it matters most?

The two will face off for the gold medal in the T20 final, with that game scheduled around 2 am.

Hot favorites Australia toppled New Zealand by five wickets in their semi-final while India edged England by four runs in a thrilling contest.

Ash Gardner was the hero when these two sides met in the pool stages, striking an unbeaten 52 from 35 balls to help the gold medal favorites chase down a 155-run target.

Australia struggled early in that game, with Indian seamer Renuka Singh recording 4-18 in just four overs as the top-order fell apart before Gardner’s heroics saved the day.

Hoare bags SENSATIONAL 1500m Gold! | 00:32

netball

It all comes down to this for our Aussie Diamonds, who will take on Jamaica in the gold medal match at 5.30am.

Australia gave up a six-goal lead in a stunning 57-55 loss to Jamaica in the pool stages, with international superstar Jhaniele Fowler starring in the upset win.

The West Coast Fever sensation scored 47 goals and backed it up with a perfect 54 from just as many attempts as a perfect shooting night saw Jamaica take down the Silver Ferns in the semis.

Australia booked its spot in the final with a 60-51 win over England in a spiteful game in the early hours of Sunday morning.

Gretel Bueta was the standout in that victory, with 43 goals at 98 per cent accuracy.

Gretel Bueta in action. (Photo by Eddie Keogh/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images

HOCKEYROOS

And as if the cricket and netball finals were not enough, the Hockeyroos will also be in action against England in the women’s gold medal match.

That final is scheduled for midnight, with Australia booking its spot in the decider after defeating New Zealand and India.

BEACH VOLLEYBALL

There are two chances for Australia to claim gold in beach volleyball, with the first final at 1 am ace Paul Burnett and Chris McHugh take on Canada.

Later in the early hours of the morning, attention will turn towards the women’s doubles final. Mariafe Artacho of the Solar and Taliqua Clancy took home silver for Australia at Tokyo and will be looking to make it gold at Birmingham when they face defending champions Canada at 6 am.

CYCLING

Four men will be representing Australia in the men’s road race at 9:30pm.

BADMINTON & TABLE TENNIS

Hsuan-Yu Wendy Chen and Gronya Somerville will be looking to progress through to the gold medal match when they play England in the women’s doubles semi-final.

In the table tennis, Lin Ma will have a shot at gold when he competes in the men’s singles class 8-10 final at 7.10pm.

Meanwhile, Yangzi Liu will be going for bronze in the women’s singles table tennis at 8.05pm before Finn Luu and Nicholas Lum do the same in the men’s doubles event at 10.05pm.

Gronya Somerville of Team Australia celebrates winning a point. (Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images

BOXING

There are plenty of chances for gold in the ring too, with kaye scott and Callum Peters both in action in finals at 8.15pm and 8.45pm respectively.

Edgardo Coumi, Caitlin Anne Parker and Tina Rahimi all lost their semi-finals on Saturday.

DIVING

14-year-old starlet Charlie Petrov and veteran Melissa Wu took gold in the women’s 10m synchronized dive and there are more opportunities for medals on Sunday.

All eyes will be on Brittany O’Brien, Madison Keeney and Georgia Shehan as they compete for a medal in the women’s 3m springboard prelims at 8.44pm.

Follow all the action live below! Can’t see the updates? Click here!

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Commonwealth Games 2022: Michelle Jenneke result, 100m hurdles final

Commonwealth Games 2022: Michelle Jenneke result, 100m hurdles final

Michelle Jenneke has missed out on a bronze medal but just 0.09 seconds as she finished fifth in the final of the 100m hurdles at the Commonwealth Games.

The 29-year-old was just 0.02 seconds off her personal best with a negative wind blowing in her face and it still wasn’t enough for a medal as she fell away in the final 40m.

Defending champion, world champion and world record holder Tobi Amusan won the gold in a Games record time of 12.30 seconds.

Jenneke’s time — 12.68 seconds — was just 0.03 seconds off the previous Games record, but in a lightning race all three of the best runners smashed that previous record.

Aussie athletics great Tamsyn Manou said on Channel 7 after the race that Jenneke would be happy with the result and will be filled with confidence as she begins her preparation for the 2024 Olympics in Paris.

It was another brutal end for Jenneke after she also missed out on a bronze medal at the 2018 Gold Coast Games by just 0.01 seconds.

The difference this time is that the field was red hot, with five of the runners also featuring in the World Championships final last month in Oregon.

“I would have liked another PB, but it wasn’t to be today,” Jenneke told Channel 7 after the race.

“To back up my run from worlds, go fast with a slight headwind there… so really happy with that performance. It’s just tough when you’re racing a field of that quality.

“That’s the fastest race there has ever been at the Commonwealth Games.”

She went on to say how happy she is that she has resurrected her career after so many injuries set backs in recent years.

“I had a pretty rough two years. There were times people in my inner circle were saying to me, ‘Are you sure you want to be doing this?’ And I was just saying back to them, ‘I’ve got more in me’. It shows that I have and I’m really glad I could show the world what I’m capable of,” she said.

Fellow Aussie Celeste Mucci also ran an impressive race to finish seventh.

Jenneke had run the fastest time of her life — 12.63 seconds — two days earlier to thunder into the final, but the time did not count as a new personal best because it was wind-assisted.

Jenneke also ranked a career-saving personal best time of 12.66 at the World Championships.

Jenneke’s time in Oregon made her the second-quickest women’s 100m hurdler Australia has ever produced, behind only Sally Pearson.

She said after the semi-final that she was in “the shape of my life”.

She said her peak physical condition is simply the result of finally being able to have a stretch without injuries where she could get in an extended training block.

“I haven’t really changed things. It’s just one of those things where I’ve been able to string together some training where I haven’t been injured,” she said.

“So I’ve actually been able to get every session done. When you do that things seem to come together. That’s really all it is. Nothing too special.”

Jenneke had finished fourth at the 2018 Games on the Gold Coast, but she did it in a time of 13.07 seconds.

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Rugby Championship, Michael Hooper leave, mental health, explained, Australia return to play

Rugby Championship, Michael Hooper leave, mental health, explained, Australia return to play

When Michael Hooper withdrew less than 48 hours before the Wallabies’ Rugby Championship opener in Argentina, it shocked the world.

An outpouring of support was issued across the globe from Will Carling to Karmichael Hunt, as it was revealed that Hooper’s “mindset” was not right and he would miss the Test and fly home.

Yet for those closer to the situation, it was not as surprising.

RECAP: Wallabies’ stunning, bonus-point victory as Quade ruled out for the year

Wallabies bag late, late bonus point try | 00:43

Hooper has been pushed to the point of breaking for some time, with few others afforded time in the saddle in his position despite the emergence of talented players like Fraser McReight.

Instead, with precious victories and coaching living by results, the Wallabies – and Super Rugby franchises, perhaps with the exception of the Brumbies and recently the Waratahs – have rolled out their premier players for fear of failure.

A talismanic leader, Hooper had not only been holding the Wallabies together on and off the field for years, he had been putting his head in few places dare go.

The second youngest Wallabies captain of all time, Hooper was the youngest player of all time to play 100 Tests.

Last year, he surpassed George Gregan’s (59) record of Tests captained last year, and he is just 18 shy of the 1999 World Cup-winner’s national record of 139.

Michael Hooper withdrew less than 48 hours before the Wallabies' Rugby Championship opener. (Photo by May Bailey/Getty Images)
Michael Hooper withdrew less than 48 hours before the Wallabies’ Rugby Championship opener. (Photo by May Bailey/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images

All this at the tender age of 30, where he has been handed the captaincy by the past three Wallabies coaches after first being capped by another, Robbie Deans, in 2012.

At some point, age, or at least the sheer minutes he had spent on the playing field, he was going to catch up with him.

Of Hooper’s 121 Tests, he has started in 115 of them and gone the full distance in 95 of those Tests. He has missed just 11 Tests, including the weekend’s 41-26 victory over Michael Cheika’s Argentina, since his debut against Scotland off the bench in Newcastle.

By comparison, Richie McCaw, who started in 141 of his 148 Tests, missed 37 Tests during his decorated career.

Interestingly, in the four years before he retired following the World Cup final in 2015, McCaw started 44 of 45 Tests during the period but only played the full 80 minutes in 33 of those Tests.

But, as age, his durability and the weight of captaining the All Blacks for so many years caught up to him, he missed nine Tests during that golden period.

New Zealand Rugby also afforded him a sabbatical in late 2012 and saw him make his comeback in mid-2013. He didn’t play, but rather cooled his heels.

In May, Hooper laughed off suggestions he could make it through to the home World Cup in 2027 by saying he was more likely to be having a “beer” in the stands at that point.

Fans FALL as Leichhardt stand collapses | 00:22

But it’s not just the home World Cup that feels like an eternity away for Hooper, it’s the 2025 British and Irish Lions series and, indeed, next year’s World Cup too.

It’s believed after years bouncing back up on a Sunday, the heavy knocks are starting to take their toll.

Recently, Hooper played in Brisbane against England despite being struck down by the flu during the week.

When he copped an early hit after being bounced by Ellis Genge, there was an element of concern around whether he had taken another head knock.

A week later, with the Wallabies’ injury toll stretching to double figures, he backed up for the series decider despite having a crook back.

Earlier in the year, Hooper copped a high tackle from a replacement Crusaders forward, which drew a red card, and he spent two weeks on the sidelines.

Privately the Waratahs and Australian officials were filthy because the culprit, Hamish Dalzell, had also been penalized for a high shot moments earlier that didn’t earn any further punishment.

Concussion is something Hooper is particularly cognizant of.

It’s also understood the Wallabies are being belted on the training field.

It is unclear when Hooper will next play. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images

Numerous sources, including at Rugby Australia, have also raised questions about the strength and conditioning methods being used under Dean Benton.

Questions have arisen after a number of players have suffered injuries at training in recent months.

There is a belief that the current group needs to be whipped into shape because they are not up to Test match standards.

For now Hooper, who arrived back in Australia on Sunday, is expected to rest and spend time with his family.

No timeframe has been given when the No.7 will next play.

Sources believe he will miss the home Tests against the Springboks.

Fortunately the Wallabies have discovered they can play without Hooper and succeed.

But they might have learned too that humans are not machines.

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Football 2022: Lionel Messi scores ‘outrageous’ bicycle kick goal in PSG’s Ligue 1 win over Clermont

Football 2022: Lionel Messi scores 'outrageous' bicycle kick goal in PSG's Ligue 1 win over Clermont

Lionel Messi scored twice in the second half, including with a stunning overhead kick, as Paris Saint-Germain began their defense of the Ligue 1 title with a 5-0 demolition of Clermont on Sunday (AEST).

Neymar was also in outstanding form for a PSG side who did not miss the injured Kylian Mbappe, with the Brazilian opening the scoring in Clermont before setting up Achraf Hakimi and Marquinhos for further goals before halftime.

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Messi then exchanged passes with Neymar before sidefooting in the visitors’ fourth goal with 10 minutes left.

Yet Messi saved the best for last, darting into the box four minutes from the end to control a Leandro Paredes pass on his chest with his back to goal, before converting with an acrobatic overhead kick.

That goal had the crowd at Clermont’s Stade Gabriel-Montpied singing the name of the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner, who endured a difficult first season in Paris.

PSG’s victory in new coach Christophe Galtier’s first league game in charge was achieved despite Mbappe missing the trip due to an adductor injury.

Mbappe also missed last week’s 4-0 defeat of Nantes in the season-opening Champions Trophy due to suspension.

Messi had opened the scoring in that game, while Neymar netted a brace. The duo therefore already have six goals between them this season, with PSG looking in ominous form.

“There is no denying we have lots of talent but what I retain is the collective desire to win the ball back very early, to play with intensity, to never let up,” Galtier, who replaced the sacked Mauricio Pochettino, told broadcaster Canal Plus .

“The squad have been very receptive since I arrived. They like to work hard together, have fun together. But the season is long. This was just the first game.”

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Football 2022: Lionel Messi scores ‘outrageous’ bicycle kick goal in PSG’s Ligue 1 win over Clermont

Football 2022: Lionel Messi scores 'outrageous' bicycle kick goal in PSG's Ligue 1 win over Clermont

Lionel Messi scored twice in the second half, including with a stunning overhead kick, as Paris Saint-Germain began their defense of the Ligue 1 title with a 5-0 demolition of Clermont on Sunday (AEST).

Neymar was also in outstanding form for a PSG side who did not miss the injured Kylian Mbappe, with the Brazilian opening the scoring in Clermont before setting up Achraf Hakimi and Marquinhos for further goals before halftime.

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Messi then exchanged passes with Neymar before sidefooting in the visitors’ fourth goal with 10 minutes left.

Yet Messi saved the best for last, darting into the box four minutes from the end to control a Leandro Paredes pass on his chest with his back to goal, before converting with an acrobatic overhead kick.

That goal had the crowd at Clermont’s Stade Gabriel-Montpied singing the name of the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner, who endured a difficult first season in Paris.

PSG’s victory in new coach Christophe Galtier’s first league game in charge was achieved despite Mbappe missing the trip due to an adductor injury.

Mbappe also missed last week’s 4-0 defeat of Nantes in the season-opening Champions Trophy due to suspension.

Messi had opened the scoring in that game, while Neymar netted a brace. The duo therefore already have six goals between them this season, with PSG looking in ominous form.

“There is no denying we have lots of talent but what I retain is the collective desire to win the ball back very early, to play with intensity, to never let up,” Galtier, who replaced the sacked Mauricio Pochettino, told broadcaster Canal Plus .

“The squad have been very receptive since I arrived. They like to work hard together, have fun together. But the season is long. This was just the first game.”

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