Stirling Mortlock ruled out of Australia's tour of Britain and Ireland
Stirling Mortlock has been ruled out of Australia's tour of Britain and Ireland after aggravating a calf muscle injury.
The centre and former captain was due to fly out of Australia and join the squad in Dublin on Sunday for the last three Tests against Ireland, Scotland and Wales, but injured his calf muscle again during a training run.
The Wallabies, who play England tomorrow, have already lost the centres Rob Horne and Berrick Barnes through injury.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2009...ortlock-injury
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Mortlock's loss turns up heat on centres
Greg Growden | November 7, 2009
LONDON: In another blow to the Wallabies, former captain Stirling Mortlock has been ruled out of their grand slam tour after aggravating his calf injury.
Mortlock was due to fly out of Australia and join the squad in Dublin on Sunday for the last three Tests against Ireland, Scotland and Wales, but re-injured his calf muscle during a training run.
The Wallabies had already lost fellow centres Rob Horne and Berrick Barnes to injury, giving new centre pairing Digby Ioane and Quade Cooper a chance to make their mark.
Cooper was yesterday trying to make sense of his strange but fruitful week. When he walked into the Wallabies team meeting on Thursday, where Robbie Deans announced the Test line-up to play England, the Queensland utility back wasn't really taking much notice, believing he would again be on the bench. Then he looked up at the large whiteboard and saw his name next to the number 12.
One of the other players patted him on the back. That brought him back to reality. Yes, he was in the Test team, but at inside-centre.
And to think he already thought he had been involved in what he assumed would be the highlight of his northern hemisphere tour - meeting and playing against his childhood hero, Carlos Spencer. When the Wallabies headed to Gloucester on Tuesday, Cooper was nearly a nervous wreck. Growing up in New Zealand, he was obsessed with Spencer. He was the footballer, the man he wanted to be. Now he was about to play opposite him.
''It was the weirdest feeling,'' Cooper said on Thursday. ''I had a huge poster of him on my bedroom door leading into the 2003 World Cup. That poster was up there for about three years. Then when I first started playing for the Reds as an 18-year-old, he had just finished up with the Auckland Blues, so I was pretty gutted I didn't get the chance to play against him.
''So you can see why the other night was very special. I went out on the field to check the ground, and throw the ball around before kick-off, and he jogged past. I was thinking to myself, 'Oh man'. I wanted to go and say hello, but decided it might not be the best time. I was mesmerised.''
Cooper did get over it, with his man-of-the-match performance a prime reason for his elevation to starting Test status. He didn't quiver in front of his hero, instead outplaying Spencer. After the match, Cooper at last built up the courage to approach him.
''I sat down and had a chat with him and he's a really good bloke,'' Cooper said. ''I had a bit of a late shot on him during the game, and I felt bad about it. Before the game, I was thinking, 'Well, he's my idol, but I still have to get him with a good tackle.' The only time there was a chance to do that he had passed the ball and I took him out. So I decided I had better apologise after the game.
''I approached him, we swapped jerseys, I asked to have my photograph taken with him. I sent the photo home and all my family thought it was awesome because they know how I idolised him as a youngster.''
http://www.rugbyheaven.com.au/news/n...247751150.html
