Hooper responds to All Blacks star's cheap shot

3 years ago 430

He was aggravated astatine the time, but Wallabies skipper Michael Hooper has shrugged disconnected All Blacks prima Brodie Retallick's brutal cleanout from the archetypal Bledisloe Cup Test.

Lesser acts person earned yellowish cards but Hooper's plea to Kiwi referee Paul Williams fell connected deaf ears successful New Zealand's 33-25 triumph astatine Eden Park.

The signifier is acceptable for a spicy rematch connected Saturday successful Auckland aft the Wallabies recalled firebrand flanker Lachlan Swinton and winger Andrew Kellaway poked the carnivore with the All Blacks "aura has worn off" comments.

Watch each lucifer of the Bledisloe Cup and The Rugby Championship with live, ad-free and on-demand sum connected Stan Sport

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"He got maine good!" Hooper exclaimed erstwhile asked astir the Retallick incidental today.

"That's what I said to him retired determination – 'I didn't miss playing you.'

"It had been a portion since I ran up against Brodie. But that's Test lucifer footy.

"There's a batch of that worldly that's missed and implicit the attrition of the crippled that worldly adds up and wears you down. Both teams, I'm sure, volition beryllium putting it retired determination tomorrow."

Hooper followed manager Dave Rennie's enactment that the Wallabies "respect but don't fear" the All Blacks, who haven't mislaid to Australia astatine Eden Park since 1986.

The Wallabies indispensable triumph to support the bid live heading into the last cupful clash successful Perth successful August 28.

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"We're going retired determination to enforce our crippled connected them and it's Australia vs New Zealand rugby," Hooper said.

"A lot's been made of that (aura) contented but it ever is successful these benignant of weeks."

Hooper said the Wallabies were determined to play good for "our people" arsenic overmuch of Australia grapples with the deadly Delta strain of coronavirus.

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"We're feeling greatly supported distant from home. It's been pugnacious for us. Every person, unit and players connected the squad has their challenges similar everyone other successful the satellite astatine the moment, we're conscionable a small transverse conception of that."

Meanwhile, All Blacks fable Andrew Mehrtens told Wide World of Sports radio that Swinton's enactment made Australia's intentions crystal wide for Saturday's 2nd Test.

"We cognize Swinton doesn't instrumentality a backward step," Mehrtens said.

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"I mean a feline who comes successful for his archetypal Test and gets reddish carded beauteous early, you cognize what his intentions are.

"He's going to bring a small spot of steel, a small spot of occurrence and they request to physically beforehand up against the All Blacks truthful that'll beryllium helpful."