BOOED AND JEERED at almost every turn in New Zealand, it took a serious injury for Quade Cooper to get some applause at the Rugby World Cup.
Public enemy number one for many, the Kiwi-born Australian back is now facing at least six months on the sidelines after suffering what appears to have been a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament injury in the third place play-off against Wales on Friday.
“We haven’t had any medical opinion as yet but, having experienced it myself and witnessed the event, I suspect it’s a ruptured ACL,” Wallabies coach Robbie Deans, who had seen his squad’s RWC campaign marred by injuries throughout, told reporters after the game.
Cooper has been backed to return and prove his critics wrong – following a relatively disappointing campaign by the 23-year-old’s standards – with scrum-half Will Genia heaping the praise on his team-mate.
“In terms of his character, he showed a lot,” Genia insisted. “He showed a lot of guts and a lot of character.
“He’ll be much better for it. Obviously the way he finished with that injury is disappointing, but he’ll come away a better person.”