Michael Hooper’s judiciary saga is over with the Wallabies flanker cleared by Sanzar’s appeals committee to face the All Blacks in Saturday’s Rugby Championship decider.
But coach Michael Cheika now has another headache to deal with as he faces a difficult selection problem with lineout general Rob Simmons ruled out of the match in Sydney.
The decision on Hooper ends a drawn out and stressful time for the player, who is delighted he can now focus on the clash with New Zealand at ANZ Stadium which doubles as the first of two Bledisloe Cup Tests.
“Glad it’s wrapped up and I can really look forward to this week and moving forward into the first Bledisloe,” Hooper said. “It’s been a little bit tough but I have been preparing as if I’ve been right to play and I’ll be trying to get into the team for this week.”
After a painstaking process, stretching more than six hours over two sittings, Hooper was found guilty of striking Pumas five-eighth Nicolas Sanchez in an off-the-ball incident during Australia’s 34-9 win over Argentina last weekend in Mendoza and was given a one-game ban.
The No7 was initially facing a two-game ban but due to his good character and unblemished disciplinary record, the Wallabies vice-captain had his penalty cut and was told he could serve the ban by missing Manly’s Sydney club semi-final against Randwick on Saturday after being named on the Marlins bench.
A day after Hooper was handed the suspension, Sanzar announced it wasn’t satisfied with the sanction imposed and would appeal the decision by judicial officer Nigel Hampton QC before the ARU cross-appealed on the grounds that the ban was too heavy.
Hampton dismissed Hooper’s defence that he pushed Sanchez off with an open hand “similar to a fend by a ball carrier attempting to stop himself from being tackled”.
But he found Hooper’s striking offence to be “at the lower-end entry point which stipulates a two-week suspension”.
Simmons is to undergo wrist surgery for a scaphoid injury and will also miss next week’s Bledisloe Cup Test in Auckland but he is expected to make a full recovery before the Wallabies take on the USA in Chicago in the lead up to the World Cup starting next month.
Simmons, a veteran of 52 Tests, has been Australia’s lineout caller and leading jumper and Cheika will be forced to carefully weigh his options before selecting his locks to face the world champion All Blacks.
He has the choice of two veterans in former skipper James Horwill and Dean Mumm to replace Simmons and could also drop non-jumping giant lock Will Skelton to start both of them in the second row.
After struggling for form this year, Horwill impressed when he came off the bench in last month’s Test win over South Africa in Brisbane. Recently returned from an overseas stint, Mumm was just as impressive off the bench in the victory against Argentina in Mendoza a week ago.
“Obviously we’re all disappointed to lose Rob,” said Wallabies coach Cheika. “We’ve been able to build some real depth in the lock position, and Rob’s injury presents an opportunity for another player in the squad to stake their claim.”
