Adam ‘Swoop’ Ashley-Cooper poised to join Wallaby centurions
Veteran back remains the heart and soul of Australia as he steps out against the All Blacks to play his 100th test
Former Australia coach Robbie Deans once described Adam Ashley-Cooper as the glue that held the Wallabies together and rarely has the versatile back's ability to bring coherence to the side been needed more than in his 100th test.
The fallout from the row over texts allegedly sent by Kurtley Beale about a team official in June have left the Wallabies in crisis and coach Ewen McKenzie clinging to the job by his finger nails ahead of today's test against New Zealand.
If the Wallabies respond at Lang Park with the sort of backs-to-the-wall performance Australians are hoping for, Ashley-Cooper (pictured) will be at the heart of it.
The 30-year-old has mostly taken a back seat to more spotlight-hungry teammates in the nine years since his test debut against South Africa in extraordinary circumstances in Perth.
While the more vaunted talents have all suffered fluctuations in form or fortune, Ashley-Cooper has rarely had a bad game at full back, in the centres or on the wing, where he will start today.
Such reliability has earned him nicknames like "Mr Fixit" or "Mr Dependable" in the media, but to his teammates it is "Swoop" who will join George Gregan, Nathan Sharpe, George Smith, Stephen Larkham and David Campese as an Australian test centurion.
"Adam has had a remarkable career and he deserves the accolades, which come with joining what is an extremely elite group of players to have played 100 games for Australia," McKenzie said this week.