Quade Cooper returns to face All Blacks at Eden Park
Quade Cooper ducks reporters' questions ahead of recall for clash against All Blacks, where he can expect fans to be frosty again
It may have been the pressure, but Quade Cooper's return to the international rugby spotlight yesterday lasted less than it takes the mercurial fly half to take a shot at goal.
Cooper was recalled to the Australia side for their must-win Rugby Championship clash against New Zealand at Eden Park tomorrow, but left reporters speculating about his state of mind as he walked out of a media conference after answering only one question.
The 24-year-old will play his first match for the Wallabies in 10 months since suffering a sickening knee injury at the same ground during the World Cup.
Renowned for his incisive passing and quick feet, the New Zealand-born playmaker had a poor World Cup to the delight of his countrymen and ironically suffered the injury when attempting one of his characteristic sidesteps in the third-place play-off against Wales.
His famed evasive skills were on full display in Sydney yesterday, however, as he ducked away from Australian reporters eager for his thoughts on his recall for tomorrow's game.
"That's all I want to say is, I'm back. I'm fit, healthy - I'm ready to go. And I'll see everybody at Eden Park," Cooper said.