Gamble on youth was no shot in the dark

Greg Growden | November 10, 2008


LATE on Friday night, down one of the main streets of Padova, were two shadowy figures, perched on either side of the Corso Milano, flinging a football to each other.

In the darkness, all you could see was the flash of the football, as either person waited for the traffic to clear before throwing massive 10-metre passes. Each pass was followed by gleeful laughter as first one, then the other, caught the speeding bullet, their night eyes picking out the missiles as if they were being thrown in broad daylight.

They were just a couple of kids - Quade Cooper and James O'Connor - wanting to get out of their hotel room, take some air and have a bit of fun, little knowing that within 24 hours their impromptu game would take on some relevance.

Mucking around in the dark obviously helped settle their nerves, because at Stadio Euganeo each showed he was on his way to becoming a notable Wallaby.

In Cooper's case, he saved Australia from ignominy - a fair effort considering it was his first Test. And in the city of St Anthony's tomb, it was Cooper who provided the miracle.

Before Cooper's incredible cameo, which resulted in a match-winning try in the 72nd minute when he showed off several David Campese-like sidesteps, the Wallabies' attack was all over the place. Unlike the Wallabies' pack, which held firm, the back line stuttered, too often trying to rush play, kicking all over the place, as if performing the Can Can, and getting decidedly rattled by their scrambling opponents.

Berrick Barnes departed early through injury, and when Matt Giteau came off the bench, it seemed as if the Test five-eighth's mind wasn't quite on the job. Maybe he had thought it was going to be an easy afternoon. It was almost as if he was unsettled by his early involvement, and it took an eternity for him to look comfortable. In the end, this was far from one of his best Test displays.

When Cooper came on in the 61st minute to replace Timana Tahu, slotting in at five-eighth, at 20-20, the game could have gone either way.

For a 20-year-old, this was one of those moments that could have so easily ruined his Test career. In such an important position, one wrong option, one silly pass, a second of nervousness or indecision could have resulted in Italy's humiliation of the Wallabies.
But Cooper held firm. He looked surprisingly relaxed, as he had at training all week, throwing immaculate passes, and then showing all the brashness of youth in chancing his arm, which resulted in the match-deciding try.


For good reason, the Italians claimed there was an obstruction, but the Wallabies could argue with some justification that they are now square for the tour after the All Blacks won on a forward pass in Hong Kong the week before.

Then came a bold coaching decision. Australia were only seven points ahead and, with Italy continuing to hassle, it was not the time for positional gambles. But Wallabies coach Robbie Deans didn't think so, deciding with eight minutes to go to bring on O'Connor, who at 18 years and 126 days became the second-youngest Australian Test player of all time.

O'Connor, at fullback, had nowhere near the impact of Cooper, but he got himself involved, proving again that if you give a kid a chance, they often produce the goods.

And there are those who have been sitting in limbo. Prop Ben Alexander had been waiting for months to get his chance, and when it came he shot out of the blocks. Considering it was his first starting Test match, and he had not played since July, his performance was exceptional.

He was everywhere in open play, kept the scrum steady, and was close to Australia's best on the field.

No wonder Deans is so focused on his youth policy. It worked in Padova.



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