Super Michael Hooper is a class apart for Australia

Think of Brad Barritt, a South African who is now a Lion, and Dylan Hartley, a New Zealander whose indiscipline cost him his place here.

Hooper’s father David is a Man of Kent who played at lock for Blackheath in the Eighties before emigrating to Sydney aged 24, making Michael exactly the sort of material successive England coaches have routinely turned into Englishmen. Against Hopper and Gill, Warburton is as true an open side as either.

The evidence of his fine display leading the tourists to their handsome defeat of New South Wales was that his timing in securing loose ball – both the Lions’ and the Waratahs’ – has swiftly returned after his knee injury.

This is a light-fingered skill long since perfected by Pocock and McCaw and, but for his own ruptured anterior cruciate ligament, neither Hooper nor Gill would be any higher than the bench in the Brisbane Test on Saturday. As it is, Hooper is expected to start, Gill to be the back-up.

“There’s not one way to get the ball back,” said Hooper.

“You can’t bank on pilfering or just blowing over and getting a turnover that way. You have to have your repertoire up to scratch so you can pick the right time.”

Leicester have another superb Australian open side in Julian Salvi, who is so far down the Wallaby pecking order he went off to England.

England’s best hope is now Matt Kvesic. Wales – and the Lions – have Justin Tipuric as well as Warburton.

The Wallabies will be rested, the Lions inured, when they go out at Lang Park on Saturday. Only then will it be clear which preparation is preferable.

“It’s a godsend to have these few weeks, but hard watching our franchises take on the Lions and sitting back and waiting,” said Gill.

“We feel it’s put us in a good place, understanding more and more the pressure of this event. We’ve had a taste of what’s to come from watching the franchises play but that doesn’t compare with the Test series, and we understand how we will have to front up.”

Article source: http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/international/8823234/Italy-make-10-changes-to-side-to-face-Scotland

Super Michael Hooper is a class apart for Australia