Australia legend Michael Hooper tips old boss to inspire New Zealand World Cup challenge
Brilliant former flanker anticipating his ex-Wallabies head coach Dave Rennie turning All Blacks into ‘dangerous’ unit for global showpiece
Michael Hooper has backed “amazing leader of men” Dave Rennie to mould a New Zealand team that is a “real problem” for its rivals at next year’s Rugby World Cup in Australia.
Appointed in March following the sacking of Scott Robertson, Rennie experienced mixed fortunes in combination with captain Hooper during three years bossing Australia before his dismissal in January 2023.
Eddie Jones replaced Rennie and omitted Hooper from Australia’s 2023 World Cup squad, essentially ending the flanker’s 11-year, 125-cap international career.
“Dave is an amazing coach and leader of men, and he deserves to take a Tier 1 team to a World Cup,” Hooper told the South China Morning Post.
“It would have been great if it had been us, but I’m very happy for him. It means New Zealand are going to be very dangerous in the World Cup, they’ll be a real problem for all the teams they face.”
Hooper was in the last Australia team to reach a World Cup final in 2015 when they were beaten by New Zealand. The job of leading the Wallabies in their home tournament next year, when they will attempt to end a 28-year wait to be world champions, will fall to current Queensland Reds head coach Les Kiss, who is poised to replace incumbent Joe Schmidt following three Nations Championship tests in July.