Life was a little bit bit totally different for Tom Hooper throughout the Brumbies’ pre-season.
Not solely has he emerged as a beginning XV contender in a star-studded ahead pack, however the blindside flanker’s youthful brother, Lachlan, turned up.
The Hoopers are the newest pair of brothers to function for the Brumbies, becoming a member of the Lonergans, Ryan and Lachlan, and following the Fainga’as, Saia, Anthony and Colby.
But not like the aforementioned brothers, Tom and Lachlan play the similar place.
“We’ve had a group of young boys in that have been a really good addition, my brother’s included in that little group of young fellas, so that’s been interesting having him around,” Hooper informed The Roar.
“He just signed for a few years.
“He’s 18, so he’s just graduated from Barker. And he is [in] my position, so in a few years’ time, he might be the one kicking me out.”
So what was it like rising up in the Hooper family?
“We had heaps of busts up when I was growing up,” the Bathurst-raised product stated.
“He’s actually left-handed, I’m right-handed, so we only ever had one set of boxing gloves. I’d take the right-handed glove and he’d take the left-handed glove and the rest is history. It usually ended up in tears or just him getting angry because he’s a fiery little bastard.
“So a couple of bust-ups, a couple of touch games in the backyard that turned into tackle, but because he was three years’ younger than me, he was always a little bit smaller but he’s just got that dog about him, that bit of fight about him.”
The brothers are actually very shut. Tom is extra severe whereas Lachlan is a “relaxed character”. As for the cooking duties?
“He’s been turning his nose up at a few meals that I’m making him because it’s not quite up to the standard that his chefs were making him at the Barker boarding house,” Hooper quipped.
Hooper, 21, turned heads in 2022. As some pale as the season went on, Hooper impressed many along with his dogged shows and robust engine, notably after star back-rower Rob Valetini missed the tail finish of the common season earlier than returning in time for the semi-final in opposition to the Blues in Auckland.
Tom Hooper has set his sights on making the Wallabies after a breakout 2022. Photo: Brumbies Media
Before then, Hooper was rising as a bolter for the Wallabies. Perhaps not instantly, however in time.
Standing at 199cm and hitting the scales at 118kg, Hooper is bodily simply the kind of participant the Wallabies are after; a tall lineout possibility, bodily and relentless round the breakdown.
It’s what impressed former Wallabies coach Michael Cheika throughout an attention grabbing show in opposition to the Hurricanes in the Brumbies’ house quarter-final win final June.
“He was tireless tonight, he did a lot of tight work,” Cheika stated of Hooper. “I haven’t watched a lot of him but he is a real competitor which I love.”
You get the feeling that Hooper might need reminded of him one other rugged blindside flanker, Scott Fardy, who was pivotal in the Wallabies’ run to the World Cup last in 2015.
In reality, the Wallabies haven’t ever been ready to change Fardy since he left Australian rugby. He offered the Wallabies steadiness in the back-row and complemented David Pocock and Michael Hooper.
Funnily sufficient, the rising No.6, who’s able to taking part in in the second-row too, stated Fardy was the participant he regarded up to as a youngster.
“I was a big fan of Scotty Fardy,” Hooper stated.
“It’s quite funny because Jesse Mogg quite often likens me and Fards together because we’re not necessarily the fastest blokes, but we get through a bit of work and do the hard yakka. I don’t know whether that’s a positive or he’s actually having a go at me.
Tom Hooper says he wants to follow to emulate Scott Fardy, who was instrumental in the Wallabies’ run to the World Cup final in 2015. Photo: Dan Mullan/Getty Images
“I always looked up to him and you see a bloke like that, just a tough bugger, going into contact, coming out with scars on his face, that’s the sort of bloke I want to model my game off and I’m lucky enough to be sitting in his locker right now. We share a locker, so hopefully I can emulate his game a bit more as the season goes on. But all those kinds of characters. Rocky Elsom, Owen Finegan, tough No.6s with a bit of skill.”
For the time being, Hooper is aware of he has floor to make up. A shoulder damage in the Brumbies’ heartbreaking 20-19 semi-final defeat at Eden Park ended his season.
It robbed Hooper of the likelihood of shifting one step nearer to a Wallabies jersey, with the Brumbies ahead to have made the Australian A squad for the Pacific Nations Cup had been it not for his season-ending damage.
It is there that others like Langi Gleeson began to make their run, which culminated in the first-year Waratahs back-rower making his debut for the Wallabies on the finish of season Spring Tour.
It’s why Hooper wants to hit the floor operating.
“I was happy with the opportunities that I got at the back end of Super last year, but it was a bit of a bitter taste in the mouth with that injury,” he stated.
“I obviously didn’t get any opportunities past that.
“So just picking up where I left off as far as Super Rugby goes and making sure I’m working every day to get a starting jersey because, obviously, you look at our stocks this year, our back-row and our second-row stocks are really good. I’ve got three Wallaby second-rowers and two of the big dogs in the Wallabies [Valetini and Pete Samu] in our back-row, so there’s not many spots up for grabs there.
“I’m just working really hard to make sure I’m going up in a starting jersey.
“I’d be lying if I didn’t say that one of my goals was to try and crack a Wallaby squad later in the year after some good performances, but we’ll see what happens and see how I’m progressing. I think I’ve got the self-belief to sort of push on and try my hand at that.”
Tom Hooper carts the ball up in the Super Rugby Pacific Semi Final match in opposition to the Blues at Eden Park on June 11, 2022 in Auckland. Photo: Hannah Peters/Getty Images
Hooper missed out on Rennie’s first 44-man Wallabies coaching squad for the 12 months.
Rennie selected 10 back-rowers in the squad, which included two out-and-out openside flankers in addition to the versatile Samu and Charlie Gamble.
It means Hooper is coming from a good distance again, however with the blindside flanker position notably open, with Waratahs hardman Lachlan Swinton additionally lacking choice after an injury-plagued 2022, gamers can actually make a late for choice.
“I’d never really expected to be in that squad off the basis of this injury slowing my growth as a player and my ability to get opportunities, but it puts a fire in the belly and it makes me hungry to sort of get in that squad and see my name on that paper,” Hooper stated.
“From there, obviously, there’s a big difference between being in a squad and actually playing, so that’s my goal is to play for the Wallabies and that might happen if I play well for the Brumbies and by making sure we win a Super Rugby title and I’m a big part of that.”
Tom Hooper runs the ball again into the enamel of the defence in opposition to the Highlanders at GIO Stadium on June 11, 2021 in Canberra. Photo: Mark Nolan/Getty Images
Making an early assertion in opposition to the Waratahs on the opening evening of Super Rugby Pacific on February 24 is simply what Hooper wants to get tails wagging.
Indeed, it’s what Australian rugby wants, notably with a blockbuster earlier in the night in opposition to the Crusaders and Chiefs, and the different codes Down Under working their manner to the finish of preseason.
“I think as soon as the draw came out, and I saw it was the Waratahs and I saw it was at the new stadium, I was very excited,” Hooper stated.
“Having been off rugby for six months now, it’s one that I definitely had circled, and I think Bernie (returning coach Stephen Larkham) probably had circled to get one up on his mate Darren Coleman as well.
“It’s exciting. They’ve got five guys in their back-five in the Wallabies squad, so they’re going to have a really good forward pack and they’ve got a couple of props as well in the Wallabies and it’s just going to be a great tussle at the new stadium.
“A bit of typical Australian tough footy, so I’m really looking forward to it and I dare say as a whole Brumbies organisation we’re really looking forward to playing the old enemy, and at the new stadium, it’s just a good advertisement for rugby.”
