Australia playmaker Quade Cooper is “ready and prepared” to fight his way back from a ruptured achilles tendon that could rule him out of next year’s World Cup.
Cooper suffered the injury early in the second half of the Wallabies’ 41-26 win and can expect a lengthy period recovering from damage that typically needs at least nine months to heal.
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It is another agonising blow for the 34-year-old, who was hoping to cement first-choice status after missing the entire 2-1 home series loss to England, having injured a calf muscle during the warm-ups for the first Test in Perth.
A return to action in the middle of 2023 will leave little time for the 75-Test veteran to prove himself ahead of the Rugby World Cup in France, beginning in September.
James O’Connor or Noah Lolesio look set to replace Cooper for the rest of the Rugby Championship, which features two Tests against the Springboks and two against the All Blacks after the Argentina leg.
Reece Hodge, who replaced Cooper mid-game on Saturday, is another option for Australia coach Dave Rennie.
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Photo: Matt Roberts/Getty Images
