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VIDEO: Michael Hooper versus The Canes

Matt Rowley May 20, 2012 37

No GravatarHow good was Michael Hooper’s game against the Hurricanes last Friday? As a reminder we’ve put a little video together.

In this post last week, we talked about the stats behind the different games that the three top performing Aussie opensides are playing this year. The stats told us that Michael Hooper had the strongest running game of out them and his match on Friday perfectly illustrated it. He made 8 runs for 62 metres, being outrun only by hotshot winger Joe Tomane with 82 metres.

He had a cracker of a game; let’s hope his tackle on Victor Vito doesn’t force him out for a few weeks.

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About the author: Matt Rowley View all posts by
Matt started G&GR just before the 2007 Rugby World Cup and has been enslaved ever since. Follow him on twitter: @MattRowley


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Discussion

  • Hannibal

    Awesome performance. He seems to break the line more than Pocock. Slippery is the only way to describe. That tackle on Vito looked pretty marginal. His back leg hardly left the ground.

    • Jay

      There was nothing in it, but I suspect he might see an off field yellow like Morahan. The reality is that with the current witch hunt over spear tackles, it’s extremely dangerous to lift at all in the tackle. And by lift, I don’t actually mean intentionally – all Hooper is doing is trying to upset Vito’s balance by lifting him an inch or two – basically to get him up on his toes so he can drive him back in the tackle – but with the way players twist their torsos to try and get the offload/present the ball you can see what the result is.

      Hopefully the judiciary and refs will calm down a bit but until they do, players are gonna have to rethink their ‘offensive defence’ tackling techniques.

      • the realist

        you can crap on with that deluded drival or you can come to the terms with the fact you are not allowed to dump tackle in rugby anymore. he’ll be getting a suspension.

        lets keep it real

        • hannibal

          what rubbish! Dump tackle my ass! It was an attempt at a good clean dominant tackle pushing Vito backwards. Vito’s leg only leaves the ground right at the end when he decides to try and get his body down quickly presumably to play the ball bck to his team quicker and avoid being driven backwards. Vito himself twists his body downwards to get the ball to ground and that makes it look like a lift.

          The problem is when the IRB tries to impose a blanket penalty around an action. The judiciary should be given the lee way to determine if the tackle was dangerous or not.

        • jimmy

          You are kidding yourself. If that’s a “dump” or “spear” tackle then every third tackle made will have to go to the citing commissioner.

          If this keeps going on, what you will see is players deliberately twisting in every tackle trying to make it look like a spear tackle and get the other players sent. They are setting a dangerous precedent here by citing everyone when they get it slightly wrong.

          If you look at Vito he actually kicks his leading leg up trying to run through the tackle – that is the movement that started the rotation.

        • the realist

          well well i will now feast on humble pie!

      • JezaCBHS

        he blatantly lifted victors right leg upwards- there was no drive backwards – it was up and then down into the ground. Victor had to put his arm out to stop himself from landing on his shoulder/head. when players are lifted by their legs (above horizontal or a certain height off the ground) and then dumped to the ground then the potential for injury increases massively.

        That’s why these tackles are banned. Deal with it

  • Pedro

    Great video Matt, Hooper has a great ability to both gain metres retain posession. I don’t know how he’ll go suspension wise, didn’t look too bad, but then I would imagine he’ll get at least a week. The good news is that Colby Faiingaa is back from injury, so at least we have another young 7 to fill the void.

    http://www.canberratimes.com.au/rugby-union/union-news/vikings-stay-unbeaten-20120519-1yy0y.html?skin=text-only

  • Scotty

    considering that G&GR story on head knocks and concussion and his state at the 40-odd sec mark, how was he cleared to stay on the field??

    • http://Itiswhatitis It is what it is

      Agree, he should have been taken off.
      You know when someone is suffering a serious head knock when you see them start an involuntary run down invisible steps into the ground.
      It will be interesting to see how he plays next week, as the experts say a 2 week recovery is required.

  • Who Needs Melon

    Hooper has been one of my favorite players to watch this year. Gutted he is going to disappear into the Tah talent black hole.

    Incidentally I think he should have been pulled from the field after that head knock. 10/10 for toughness, -15/10 for common sense.

    • Patrick

      Absolutely agree with the sentiments re Hooper moving to the Tahs. Devastating for Australian rugby.

    • micdamage

      Too take him from the field after that head knock, from which he struggled to stay upright, is a wise/mandatory idea.

  • RJ

    He’s almost as good as Liam Gill.

    • Larkhage

      If he pulled back some talent he’d be as good

  • the realist

    he’s a talent but i noticed you didn’t put in some of his missed tackles particularly the one where their half back ran straight through him to score.

    just keeping it real

    • Who Needs Melon

      Yeah but he didn’t put in all 18 tackles he DID make either. I think they call this a highlight reel.

      • the realist

        no gagger put the question how good was hooper v the hurricanes last friday? and the video is called hooper v hurricanes not any mention of a highlight reel. for us to answer how good he was we should be given the good and the bad so as to form our opinions.

      • Jay

        Who cares about a reel? He’s keeping it REAL.

    • http://www.greenandgoldrugby.com/ Matt Rowley (Gagger)

      Oh. my. god. We’ve created a cyber vigilante – sign off and all!

      • RJ

        The realist is definately not keeping it real.

      • RedMan

        He is just trying to make his rugby season interesting, because watching the Tahs isn’t doing it for him.

  • Bobas

    if only he was as tall as his father: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Hooper

  • bill

    It’d be a shame to not have him available this week but that tackle is maybe worse than Digby’s one that got a suspension. In any event he should probably have a rest for the concussion anyway. The brumbies aren’t looking after his welfare if they let him play this week.

  • Patrick

    Watching that actually makes me take my earlier comment that Australia should field 6 Pocock 7 Gill 8 Hooper (even) more seriously.

    Someone with a limited sense of humour asked if I knew that a backrow needed balance andt that balance meant a big guy at no 8 – has Palu made that many metres this year for NSW?

    • Go For Gold

      So crazy i love it.

    • Pedro

      I keep thinking the same thing, who cares about size if you’re consistently making gains and retaining posession.

      I also agree with the lack of humour amongst some commenters, a bit sad REALly.

    • the realist

      Has Palu made metres? You must either not be watching rugby or you are blind. He always gets over the advantage line and gives invaluable go forwrad time and time again. Mind you he is usually punching through heavy traffic not out wide like a hooper or a higginbotham. A quick look at foxsports stats.

      Before the last round Palu had played 536min for a total of 478 metres gained.

      Hooper had played 596 min (60min more) for much less ie 319 metres gained.

      Higginbotham had played 735 min (199min more) yet only 376 metres gained.

      I decided to look up arguably the no 1 no 8 in the game Keiren Read and even his metre gained is inferior. He had played 778min (242min more) for yet a smaller gain of 404 metres.

      There is more to no 8 play than just metres gained but at the moment he is making more metres than anybody yet is playing far less in terms of minutes on the field. You’d have to have rocks in your head to not want to pick Palu as the starting no 8 for the wallabies.

      • Pedro

        Hooper had much fewer runs, 49 as compared to palu’s 95. Hooper also made 133 tackles, compared to Palu’s 80.

      • bill

        One of the arguments against Higgers is the whole big bopper thing, and yeah its great having a big guy like “the brumbies guy” or Palu bend the line at 8…there is no substitute for cubic inches after all, cursed motor vee-hicle reference..but the all blacks seem to go ok with Keiran Reed? at 8, who isn’t a barge artist by any means so I’m guessing it’s not a rugby axiom. And Reid/Reed? isn’t the only recent all black 8 who’s tended more to the aerobic than the anaerobic.

        • Pedro

          Well said.

        • aussie werewolf in london

          Surely you would not be seriously comparing Higginbotham to Read? I would argue they are both big boppers, the difference is Read is a great footballer. Higginbotham is not.

  • Go For Gold

    Hooper was cleared of the tip tackle – free to play this weekend against the reds. Not sure if he SHOULD play considering the concusion but looking forward to him vs Gill.

    • RJ

      What a disgrace Sanzar is becoming by letting him play. Was as bad as Digby’s.

      • bill

        Worse for mine. Have to say I don’t think Schatz should be playing either, in terms of concussions, hope these clubs are showing duty of care to their players.

  • Pedro

    Yeah! dodged that bullet. I was wrong, glad to be though.

    • Paradox

      Digby has a history of spear tackles though. He’s been before. QLDers keeps forggeting that.

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