Foot Mercato report this afternoon that Rennes have entered the race to sign Leicester City midfielder Boubakary Soumaré, who has also been a target of Monaco this summer.

The Principality side had initially been looking at the former Lille man as a potential replacement for Aurélien Tchouaméni, although the signing of Mohamed Camara from Salzburg appears to have ended their search.

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The Bretons have been looking to beef up their squad ahead of their Europa League campaign this season, having already brought in Arnaud Kalimuendo from Paris Saint-Germain as well as Belgian defender Arthur Theate.

Soumaré, who made 19 league appearances for Brendan Rodgers’ team last season, has been valued at €20m by his current club, the same fee on which they signed him from the then-Ligue 1 champions last summer. Monaco had seen a bid of €15m including bonuses rejected.

Rennes have been scouting Soumaré for a while and want to move this summer, although they face competition from other clubs while Leicester’s demands for a permanent transfer rather than a loan deal could prove to be obstacles.

Ireland have held on for a 13-10 win over the Wallabies in a tense encounter in Dublin.It took 65 minutes for the first try of the game as defence dominated the contest, with Bundee Aki putting the world number one Irish in front.Jordan Petaia answered back for the Wallabies, setting up a grandstand finish for Dave Rennie's men, who lost Rob Valetini (ankle), Dave Porecki (concussion), Hunter Paisami (knee), Taniela Tupou (Achilles) and Andrew Kellaway (toe) throughout the physical encounter.A 76th-minute penalty to Ross Byrne proved the difference, with the visitors' late gamble to hunt for the win proving unsuccessful.“It was gutsy, we hung in the fight,” Wallabies coach Dave Rennie said after the match.“There was a fair bit of adversity tonight…We ended up having to play with 13 so huge amount of character.“There’s frustration because we had our opportunities. You have to give credit to the Irish defence, gutted for the boys because it was very winnable.”The Wallabies looked to put last week’s defeat to Italy behind them as they enjoyed the majority of the attacking opportunities in the first half with little success.The visitors showed promise early on as Nic White looked to dived over for the first try inside three minutes before it was brought back for a neck roll at the ruck by Dave Porecki.The neck roll became a central focus of the first half as both teams drew the ire of referee Ben O’Keefe.They then suffered a blow with Hunter Paisami forced off the field with a knee injury, with the world number one Irish opening the scoring via a Jack Crowley penalty, the lone points of the first half.Paisami was shortly followed off by Porecki, failing his HIA.The Wallabies ended up feeling the brunt of Keefe's eventual warning as yet another neck roll saw Folau Fainga’a sent for ten just before the end of the first half.Sensing an opportunity, the hosts marched onto the attack after the break with the Wallabies forced down to 13 as a result of having both hookers on the sidelines, leading to uncontested scrums.The Wallabies' defence proved heroic, with Michael Hooper time and time again getting over the ball to force the turnoverThis was complemented by a great scramble tackle from Bernard Foley to put Mack Hansen into touch, stopping a certain try to Jamison Gibson-Park.As they returned to 15, the injury carnage continued for the visitors as Rob Valetini limped from the field.It went from bad to worse minutes later when Taniela Tupou’s first carry ended in disaster, collapsing to the ground with a non-contact injury, stretched off the field with an apparent Achilles problem.The injury came moments after Tupou earned a scrum penalty for the visitors, allowing Foley to level the scores up with 25 minutes to go.Andrew Kellaway continued the horror night for Dave Rennie’s men as he was replaced with a foot/toe injury, forcing Jake Gordon into the back three.The Irish’s relentless pressure eventually led to the first try of the game as replacement Bundee Aki powered over the line to give the hosts a 10-3 lead.A great run from Will Skelton got the Wallabies back on the front foot and the impressive Jordan Petaia levelled it up as he glided over the line. Replacement flyhalf Ross Byrne stepped up for the hosts, slotting a penalty 35 metres out from the sidelines to give them a late lead with four minutes to go.The Wallabies went for the win with time running out, however, an infringement at the maul 10 metres out gave away the ball, with one last attempt from the visitors stifled by the hosts as they held onIRELAND 13TRIES: AkiCONS: Crowley 1/1PENS: Crowley 1/1, Byrne 1/1WALLABIES 10TRIES: PetaiaCONS: PetaiaPENS: Foley 1/2IRELAND v WALLABIES TEAMSIreland: 15 Hugo Keenan, 14 Mack Hansen, 13 Garry Ringrose, 12 Stuart McCloskey, 11 Jimmy O’Brien, 10 Jack Crowley, 9 Jamison Gibson-Park, 8 Caelan Doris, 7 Josh van der Flier, 6 Peter O’Mahony (captain), 5 James Ryan, 4 Tadhg Beirne, 3 Tadhg Furlong, 2 Dan Sheehan, 1 Andrew Porter.Replacements: 16 Rob Herring, 17 Cian Healy, 18 Finlay Bealham, 19 Joe McCarthy, 20 Jack Conan, 21 Craig Casey, 22 Ross Byrne, 23 Bundee Aki.Australia: 15 Andrew Kellaway, 14 Mark Nawaqanitawase, 13 Len Ikitau, 12 Hunter Paisami, 11 Tom Wright, 10 Bernard Foley, 9 Nic White, 8 Rob Valetini, 7 Michael Hooper, 6 Jed Holloway, 5 Cadeyrn Neville, 4 Nick Frost, 3 Allan Alaalatoa, 2 David Porecki, 1 James Slipper (captain).Replacements: 16 Folau Fainga’a, 17 Tom Robertson, 18 Taniela Tupou, 19 Will Skelton, 20 Pete Samu, 21 Jake Gordon, 22 Noah Lolesio, 23 Jordan Petaia.Referee: Ben O’Keeffe (New Zealand)Assistant Referees: James Doleman (New Zealand), Tual Trainini (France)TMO: Stuart Terheege (England)Click Here: adidas superstar Shoes

Ligue 1 side OGC Nice continue their search for another versatile attacking player before the summer window shuts – according to Fabrizio Romano, the French 1st division outfit have submitted an opening €10m proposal to Championship club Blackburn Rovers for Anglo-Chilean forward Ben Brereton Díaz.

Les Aiglons have not been able to advanced in talks for Edinson Cavani (free) or Bamba Dieng (Marseille) – it appears that currently engaged transfer market consultant Iain Moody has decided to further lean on his superior knowledge of the English market, as it compares to his knowledge of the French market, with an approach from one of the most highly coveted prospects in the English 2nd division, having already signed Kasper Schmeichel from Leicester and Welsh international Aaron Ramsey.

OGCN are also in talks with Ivorian international Nicolas Pépé’s camp about a possible loan deal.

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South Africa have made six changes for their final autumn series fixture against England at Twickenham, in part forced as the match is being played outside the international window and several players have rejoined their clubs.Eben Etzebeth returns to the starting XV following last weekend's 63-21 thumping of Italy to partner his old school teammate Marvin Orie at lock, while Jesse Kriel is back at outside centre alongside Damian de Allende.Makazole Mapimpi has been selected in the place of Cheslin Kolbe, who is not available, with the rest of the back three featuring fellow wing Kurt-Lee Arendse and Willie le Roux at fullback.Flyhalf Damian Willemse and scrumhalf Faf de Klerk continue their budding partnership.Evan Roos will start at No.8 with Jasper Wiese also out of the mix, and he will pack down at the back of the scrum with Franco Mostert and captain Siya Kolisi.The front row contains props Frans Malherbe and Ox Nche either side of hooker Bongi Mbonambi.Apart from Kolbe and Wiese, other players unavailable for selection are centre Andre Esterhuizen, scrumhalf Cobus Reinach and prop Vincent Koch, while flanker Pieter-Steph du Toit is suspended."With this Test falling outside the international window, we knew we would have to make changes to the team, but we are pleased with the depth we have built in the wider squad in the last few months," said coach Jacques Nienaber in a media release from South African Rugby."It is paying off for us this week. Every player in this squad has played Test rugby."Nienaber is relishing what he believes will be a mighty challenge for his side against Eddie Jones's team."England will enter this match with the same mindset as us – to finish the season on a high note after a tough November campaign, and to build momentum with an eye on the World Cup," Nienaber said."We are expecting them to throw everything they have at us. They are a well-balanced team with a strong pack of forwards and exciting backs, and they are well coached, so we know it is going to be an epic encounter."South Africa (15-1): Willie le Roux, Kurt-Lee Arendse, Jesse Kriel, Damian de Allende, Makazole Mapimpi, Damian Willemse, Faf de Klerk; Evan Roos, Franco Mostert, Siya Kolisi (captain), Marvin Orie, Eben Etzebeth, Frans Malherbe, Bongi Mbonambi, Ox Nche. Replacements: Malcolm Marx, Steven Kitshoff, Thomas du Toit, Marco van Staden, Kwagga Smith, Jaden Hendrikse, Manie Libbok, Canan Moodie.Click Here: men football tracksuits

L’Équipe report tonight that Leipzig defender Mohamed Simakan will not be joining Paris Saint-Germain this summer despite the Ligue 1 side’s interest, with his current club blocking a move.

As the protracted saga over Inter defender Milan Škriniar continues, PSG had identified the former Strasbourg man as an alternative option.

However, the German club’s directors Oliver Mintzlaff and Christopher Vivell have closed the door to a departure for the 22-year-old, who remains under contract until 2026. They consider that they would not have enough time left in the transfer window to replace him, while fellow defender Lukas Klostermann’s injury is also an issue.

Luís Campos is on good terms with the Leipzig management and intends to try his luck again next year, for the player he had advised Real Madrid to sign when he was working with the Merengue, and was following since his Strasbourg days.

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PSG remain in the market for a right-sided central defender following the departure of Thilo Kehrer and have submitted another offer for Milan Škriniar, all the while looking at other targets – although they will not buy for the sake of it.

The Stormers took advantage of an ill-disciplined London Irish side as they sealed a 28-14 Champions Cup triumph at the Gtech Community Stadium on Sunday.

Irish had two players sent off, with both Ben Loader and Ciaran Parker dismissed for connecting with the head of Manie Libbok and Deon Fourie, respectively.

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The South Africans were already in the ascendency thanks to a penalty try when Loader was red-carded. They then touched down twice more through Ruhan Nel and Suleiman Hartzenberg for a 21-0 lead at the break.

An already difficult task then got even harder for the Exiles when Parker received his marching orders, and the visitors benefited from the two-man advantage through Angelo Davids’ effort.

Credit must go to the hosts, who continued to battle and reduced the arrears thanks to a penalty try and a Danilo Fischetti score, but the game was already gone by that point.

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Early pressure was invited when Rory Jennings’ attacking kick was charged down by Ruhan Nel, and the Stormers almost scored on the breakaway but juggling wing Hartzenberg could not keep hold of the ball.

They were more successful in the 14th minute as the Premiership’s ninth-placed side conceded a penalty and then free-kick, allowing the Stormers to turn the screw through their set-piece.

Not only did referee Ludovic Cayre award a penalty try for illegally bringing down the maul, the culprit, Juan Martin Gonzalez, was sent to the sin-bin.

Irish’s defence was carved open by the Stormers’ backs, and although Davids’ try was ruled out because of a forward pass, Libbok had been hit high by Loader, and the full-back was sent-off.

🟥 Ben Loader red-carded for this tackle on Manie Libbok.#HeinekenChampionsCup #LIRvSTO
pic.twitter.com/MsldkYjIdA

— Planet Rugby (@PlanetRugby) January 15, 2023

Nel was dominating the midfield, and it was aggressive defending that forced a turnover, enabling the big centre to pick off Jennings’ pass and gallop home.

Irish’s one-man deficit was exploited with intelligence, and the third try arrived just before the interval when Sacha Mngomezulu grubbered for Hartzenberg to gather and touch down.

Fired up by a chastening first-half, the Exiles’ pack pressed on the visiting line but in the 43rd minute disaster struck for the second time when Parker was shown a red card for a dangerous clear out on Fourie.

Davids ran in the Stormers’ fourth after Irish were stripped of the ball, but the home side were finally off the mark in the 50th minute through a line-out drive that saw Cayre award a second penalty try with prop Steven Kitshoff sent to the sin-bin.

Ben White touched down, but the score was ruled out, summing up the English club’s wretched afternoon, but Fischetti went over with two minutes left to reward the fight shown in the closing stages.

Edinburgh qualify for last-16 with superb win over Castres

Edinburgh secured their passage into the knockout stages of the Champions Cup after overcoming Castres 34-21.

It was an impressive win for the Scottish outfit, who opened the scoring through Dave Cherry.

Josaia Raisuqe levelled matters before Adrien Seguret took the hosts into the lead.

Although Viliame Mata responded for the visitors, Castres went into the break 21-14 ahead when Wilfrid Hounkpatin crossed the whitewash.

However, they would not score a point in the second period as Edinburgh took control. Cameron Hutchinson got them back into the contest before Ben Vellacott’s try sealed the bonus point.

Blair Kinghorn then kicked two penalties in the final 15 minutes to confirm the triumph and move them into the last 16 of the Champions Cup.

Edinburgh came into this encounter having struggled to gain any momentum despite a narrow victory over bottom-of-the-table Zebre in the United Rugby Championship.

Castres were in a similar position and had not recorded a win in any competition since the start of December, when they beat Pau in French rugby’s Top 14.

But the game started with both sides playing with real attacking endeavour in contrast to the struggles they have endured in their respective domestic leagues.

Edinburgh opened the scoring when Cherry crashed over after a driving lineout, converted by Kinghorn who was then yellow-carded for a professional foul on his own line.

The home side took full advantage when flanker Raisuqe latched onto a grubber kick to score the French side’s first try, converted by fly-half Benjamin Urdapilleta to make it 7-7.

Centre Seguret crossed from short range for Castres’ second try, which Urdapilleta converted to make it 14-7, but Edinburgh replied when Mata crossed for a try after a period of pressure. Kinghorn’s conversion made it all level again.

Castres then crossed for their third try with prop Hounkpatin powering over as Edinburgh struggled to deal with the French side’s forward power. Urdapilleta added the conversion.

Edinburgh went in 21-14 behind at half-time with everything to play for after an entertaining first 40 minutes.

After the break, Edinburgh made the perfect start to the second half when Hutchison took advantage of some sloppy defence and crossed for the Scottish side’s third try. Kinghorn added the extras to level the scores.

Vellacott then weaved his way to cross for Edinburgh’s fourth try and Kinghorn converted to make it 28-21 midway through the second half.

Kinghorn then added a pair of penalties to extend his side’s lead to 13 points and ensure they would not be caught.

The Wallabies have stunned Wales, coming back from 21 points down to win 39-34 in CardiffThe visitors' fate looked sealed when the hosts raced out to a 34-13 lead with 25 minutes to go.Two yellow cards on either side of half-time left the depleted, tired and battered Wallabies out on their feet.However, the hallmark of Dave Rennie's tenure has been their fight as Player of the Match Mark Nawaqanitawase got the Wallabies back in the contest with two quick tries.A Penalty try and a second yellow card to Wales set up the grandstand finish before Lachlan Lonergan latched onto a loose ball to score the winning try.“It was a game around momentum,” Wallabies coach Dave Rennie said after the game.“They got it early, pressure resulted in a couple of cards. I thought we got fantastic impact off the bench who we went to early and we had all the momentum late in the game and applied pressure through there.“Huge amount of ticker in this group and we had a number of guys who played in the Italy game who had a chance at redemption. There were a number of young guys who really fronted today.“We’re stoked. It’s a nice way to finish off.” It was all Wales in the opening 55 minutes as they took advantage of a disjointed Wallabies defensive line.Legendary lock Alun Wyn Jones proved his class in the tenth minute, turning playmaker to put Jac Morgan over after breaking through the line.As both sides traded penalties, number eight Taulupe Faletau celebrated his 100th game in style as he dived over in the corner, allowing the hosts to take a quick 20-6 lead.The visitors settled into the contest and built some pressure via some solid breaks from Len Ikitau and Mark Nawaqanitawase.They eventually found their way over the line via the rolling maul and Folau Fainga’a.Dave Rennie’s men were forced to dig deep when Jake Gordon was yellow carded for a professional foul, falling to get back onside after a Rio Dyer break.With Tom Robertson sent to the bin shortly after the break for too many scrum penalties, Wales looked to have sealed the win when Morgan crossed for his second, followed over by Dyer for a 34-13 lead.But inch by inch, play by play, the Wallabies fought their way back into the contest.The interjection of Pete Samu was game-changing as his grubber put Wales under pressure, flipping field territory and possession to allow Nawaqanitawase to strike in the corner.Eight minutes later, Samu snatched an intercept and attempted to race away, stopped by the errand leg of Wales captain Justin Tipuric, tripping the back-rower.This reduced the hosts to 14 and accelerated the visitors' momentum, who seemed to find a second wind in attack.A well-worked line-out move put Nawaqanitawase over for his second, reducing the margin to just nine.The visitors followed this up with a dominant rolling maul with six minutes remaining, earning the penalty try and a yellow card to Ryan Elias.This set up another grandstand finish as both sides showed their desperation to claim a much-needed win.Nawaqanitawase produced another bit of magic to find space, putting the visitors on the attack.A looping ball from Len Ikitau found the hands of a Welsh defender, spilling it in the process.This paved the way for Lachlan Lonergan to dive over the line, giving the Wallabies an unlikely lead with 90 seconds to go.In true Wallaby fashion, there was one twist late as referee Matthew Carley found a late penalty with seconds remaining.Asked to defend their line one last time, Lonergan proved the hero once again, coming up with the steal and booting the ball out to seal a famous victoryWALES 34TRIES: Morgan 2, Faletau, DyerCONS: Anscombe 4/4PENS: Anscombe 2/2WALLABIES 39TRIES: Fainga'a, Nawaqanitawase 2, Lonergan, Penalty TryCONS: Donaldson 1/1, Lolesio 2/3PENS: Donaldson 2/2, Hodge 0/1WALES v WALLABIES TEAMSWales 15 Josh Adams, 14 Alex Cuthbert, 13 George North, 12 Joe Hawkins, 11 Rio Dyer, 10 Gareth Anscombe, 9 Tomos Williams, 8 Taulupe Faletau, 7 Justin Tipuric (captain), 6 Jac Morgan, 5 Alun Wyn Jones, 4 Adam Beard, 3 Dillon Lewis, 2 Ken Owens, 1 Gareth Thomas.Replacements: 16 Ryan Elias, 17 Rhodri Jones, 18 Tomas Francis, 19 Ben Carter, 20 Josh Macleod, 21 Kieran Hardy, 22 Rhys Priestland, 23 Sam CostelowAustralia: 15 Tom Wright, 14 Jordan Petaia, 13 Len Ikitau, 12 Reece Hodge, 11 Mark Nawaqanitawase, 10 Ben Donaldson, 9 Jake Gordon, 8 Langi Gleeson, 7 Fraser McReight, 6 Jed Holloway, 5 Cadeyrn Neville, 4 Nick Frost, 3 Allan Alaalatoa, 2 Folau Fainga’a, 1 James Slipper (captain).Replacements: 16 Lachlan Lonergan, 17 Tom Robertson, 18 Sam Talakai, 19 Ned Hanigan, 20 Pete Samu, 21 Tate McDermott, 22 Noah Lolesio, 23 Jock Campbell.Referee: Matthew Carley (England)Assistant referees: Luke Pearce (England), Chris Busby (Ireland)TMO: Joy Neville (Ireland)Click Here: manly sea eagles rugby store

Foot Mercato report this afternoon that Rennes are now in the race to sign Nantes playmaker Ludovic Blas, amid talks between Les Canaris and Lille which are now stalling.

Despite the club’s Europa League qualification – Blas himself scored the winner in the cup final over Nice – the club have opened the door to his departure, but rejected an opening bid of €11m from Les Dogues, and negotiations are now underway.

But the 24-year-old is said to be enticed by the prospect of joining Rennes – who will also take part in the Europa League group stages – with the club keeping a close eye on him – even if he does have an agreement over personal terms in place with Lille.

Blas scored 15 goals in all competitions last season and has already opened his account for the new campaign with a strike against Marseille. It remains to be seen whether Rennes will be able to meet Nantes’ demands for the attacking midfielder, as his future remains up in the air.

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World Rugby has outlined an exciting new framework for the future of the Sevens World Series, which will see rugby sevens further embrace its ‘sportainment’ DNA, combining sport and fan entertainment in a festival atmosphere at some of the world’s best-loved locations.The remodelled Sevens World Series will include seven festival style events, in seven iconic global destinations, across seven months, featuring the best 12 men’s and 12 women’s teams and is set to kick off in December 2023.In a move designed to attract a younger, more diverse and global fanbase while generating greater revenues to reinvest in players and teams, the transformed Series hosting model will see World Rugby EventsCo assume greater responsibility for the delivery of the events, working in partnership with host organisations.Following a compelling record breaking year for women’s rugby, the Series will fully embrace gender parity with all seven rounds featuring combined men’s and women’s events, ensuring that women players have equal opportunities to showcase their talents on the biggest stages around the world.Following consultation with the participating nations, the men’s Series will reduce from 16 to 12 teams, aligning with the Olympic competition model and bringing the number of men’s and women’s teams even, while allowing for more optimal match scheduling opportunities.An annual ‘Grand Finale’ event will take place in the seventh round, which will see the top eight ranked teams after six rounds compete to be crowned Series champions, while the teams ranked ninth to 12th will join the top four ranked teams from the Challenger Series in a high stakes relegation play-off competition which will see four teams secure their places in the next edition of the Series. The four unsuccessful teams will go into regional competitions to qualify for the next Challenger Series, which comprises of 12 men’s and 12 women’s teams competing in the second level of international rugby sevens.In another ground-breaking development, men’s and women’s teams will receive equal participation fees, with a 70 per cent uplift in World Rugby’s investment in participation fees in the new model.Player welfare considerations remain paramount and the reduction in the number of tournaments will allow players to perform at the very best of their ability every time they enter the pitch, while also supporting the ambition to deliver more environmentally sustainable events in line with the World Rugby Environmental Sustainability Plan 2030 launched earlier this year.The new Series follows a widespread and comprehensive consultation process, involving representatives from participating teams, existing tournament hosts, player welfare representatives and fans.Discussions are ongoing with potential host destinations, following unprecedented hosting interest. Confirmed hosts, competition dates and a new brand identity will be announced in the coming months, with the first edition of the remodelled Series to run from December 2023 through June 2024.The current HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series continues with the next pair of rounds taking place in Dubai on 2-3 December, followed by Cape Town on 9-11 December.World Rugby Chief Executive Alan Gilpin said: “The reimagined Sevens World Series will be a game-changer for the global growth of the game. Research insights have demonstrated that sevens plays a vital role in reaching and engaging new rugby fans, particularly in emerging rugby nations and with younger audiences. World Rugby is fully committed to the sustainable growth, innovation and success of rugby sevens as a highly impactful and successful Olympic sport with a bright future.“We have consulted widely with a multitude of stakeholders to achieve our shared aim of making rugby more relevant and accessible to more young people, more of the time, and in doing so growing the reach of rugby while ensuring player welfare is sacrosanct and further cementing the successful positioning of rugby sevens on the Olympic sport programme.“Moving to full gender parity between the men’s and women’s Series reflects not just our commitment to accelerating the women’s game, but also recognition of the powerful personalities who are inspiring a new generation of fans across the globe.“The increased promotion pathway opportunity for Challenger Series teams to reach the pinnacle Sevens World Series is also an important development, giving more teams the chance to attain a place at the top table of rugby sevens on an annual basis.”World Rugby Chief Revenue and Fan Engagement Officer Richard Heaselgrave said: “The simple aim of the remodelled Series is to grow the game by reaching more fans, generating greater revenues to reinvest in performance, and deliver bigger, better and more engaging and entertaining event experiences for fans in the stadium, interacting online or watching on broadcast around the world.“Fans will be at the heart of the action as the Series will chase the sun, mixing the best of sport and entertainment to create unmissable live event experiences with a festival atmosphere in seven iconic global destinations, which will broaden rugby sevens’ appeal and attract new audiences.“We will continue to build the Series into a global sports and entertainment brand by widening our event experience offering. The Series has a great opportunity to develop world class events that integrate top level sport, live music, culinary experiences, retail, art, culture and mass participation, providing fans with the flexibility to watch, play and engage across a range of event experiences.“Rugby sevens is a sport like no other. The action is non-stop. The Sevens World Series will showcase the physical and skilful prowess of some of the world's most impressive athletes in multi-day festivals of vibrant celebration and entertainment. The future of rugby sevens is very bright.”Click Here: derry gaa jerseys

Wallabies fly-half Quade Cooper admitted he was embarrassed after his on-field scrap with legendary All Blacks skipper Richie McCaw.

Cooper, who was born in New Zealand, also revealed that McCaw was one of his favourite players and that he “idolised” him growing up and detailed how things changed when he pursued a career in Wallaby gold.

Building a hatred

The flair-filled playmaker said he forced himself to develop a hatred for the likes of McCaw to align with the Wallabies dressing room, which ultimately resulted in an on-field incident he is not proud of.

“That’s where all my run-ins with Richie McCaw and stuff sort of stem from. I’ve spoken to him since all of the issues and that, but I idolised him growing up,” Cooper explained on the podcast, Bloke In A Bar.

“To every New Zealander, that was the dude, and you just wanted to meet him. But now I’m playing for Australia.

“In the Australian locker room and stuff like this, everybody is the opposite, they just want to kill him and that.

“I’m like, ‘he’s my favourite player, him and Dan Carter.’ I kind of was like, ‘I’ve got to develop this, I’ve got to hate him too.’

“In the game in Hong Kong, I cleaned him out, and he’s on the ground… I’m sort of standing over him, and he just kicks off with his foot to get me off.

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“I was like ‘oh, he kicked me.’ I sort of said a few words to him… In my head, I just wanted to get him back.

“We ended up scoring the try that tied the game in overtime, and he made the tackle on (James) O’Connor as he was sort of falling over, and I came flying in, and I gave him a shove. That’s what kicked that off.

“I gave him a shove and said some words to him, and then (Mils) Muliaina, a few other boys came in and pushed me off.

“In my head, when I look back, that was just my emotion that I had built up to have some type of motivation against this guy.

“I remember walking off the field, and I was so embarrassed and disappointed. I was like, ‘how do I go and get a photo with him now?’

“It was a real weird situation.”

The situation put a target on Cooper’s back in a sense as New Zealand fans took their opportunities to have a go at the fly-half, particularly in the 2011 Rugby World Cup.

Found his identity

Cooper admits it was tough, but things have improved, and now he sees himself as Australian, which is possible even if you are born in a different country.

“When I was young, the difference is that now I am Australian,” he added.

“If you get someone who is born in Greece and grown up here, they’re still Greek, but they’re (also) Australian.

“That’s the thing with our country, and I guess where the Wallabies are at now… we’re actually really focusing on and appreciating the multiculturalism that we have here in Australia.

“It doesn’t mean you can’t be Samoan or you can’t be Tongan, you’ve got to be one or the other… for me, I’ve sort of got to that same point where I’m like ‘I love watching the All Blacks.’

“When I watch the All Blacks I’m supporting them. When I play against them, well it’s a game.

“The more that I’ve worked on my own identity and who I am as a man, the easier that’s become because back then I actually didn’t know who I was. I wasn’t sure if I should be on that side.”