When Michael Hooper retired less than 48 hours before the start of the Wallabies’ Rugby Championship in Argentina, it shocked the world.
Huge support was issued across the board from Will Carling to Karmichael Hunt as it was revealed that Hooper’s ‘mindset’ was not right and he would miss the test and go home.
However, for those closest to the situation, it was not so surprising.
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Hooper has been pushed to the breaking point for some time now, with few others given bench time in his position despite the emergence of talented players such as Fraser McReight.
Instead, with wins precious and coaches living for results, the Wallabies and Super Rugby franchises, perhaps with the exception of the Brumbies and recently the Waratahs, have dropped their top players for fear of failure.
A talismanic leader, Hooper had not only been holding the Wallabies together on and off the field for years, he had been putting his head in places few dare to go.
The second youngest ever Wallabies captain, Hooper was the youngest ever player to play 100 Tests.
Last year, he surpassed George Gregan’s Test record (59) captained last year, and is just 18 short of the 1999 World Cup winner’s national record of 139.
Michael Hooper retired less than 48 hours before the Wallabies’ Rugby Championship opener. (Photo by May Bailey/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
All this at the tender age of 30, where the last three Wallabies coaches have handed him the captaincy after he was snapped up by another, Robbie Deans, in 2012.
At some point, age, or at least the big minutes he had spent on the pitch, was going to catch up with him.
Of Hooper’s 121 races, he has started in 115 of them and gone the full distance in 95 of those races. He has missed just 11 tests, including the weekend’s 41-26 win over Michael Cheika’s Argentina, since making his debut against Scotland off the bench at Newcastle.
By comparison, Richie McCaw, who started in 141 of his 148 Tests, missed 37 Tests during his decorated career.
Interestingly, in the four years before he retired after the 2015 World Cup final, McCaw started 44 of 45 Tests during the period, but only played the full 80 minutes in 33 of those Tests.
But as age, his durability and the weight of captaining the All Blacks for so many years caught up with him, he missed nine Tests during that golden period.
New Zealand Rugby also offered him a sabbatical at the end of 2012 and saw him return in mid-2013. He did not play, but rather cooled his heels.
In May, Hooper laughed off suggestions he could make it to the home World Cup in 2027, saying he was more likely to have a “beer” in the stands then.
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But it’s not just the home World Cup that feels like an eternity away for Hooper, it’s the 2025 British and Irish Lions series and, indeed, next year’s World Cup as well.
It is believed that after years of recovering on a Sunday, the hard knocks are starting to take their toll.
Hooper recently played in Brisbane against England despite being stricken with flu during the week.
When he got an early hit after being denied by Ellis Genge, there was an element of concern about whether he had taken another hit to the head.
A week later, with the Wallabies’ injury toll stretching into double figures, he backed up for the series decider despite having a steal.
Earlier this year, Hooper took a high tackle on a substitute Crusaders striker, which drew a red card, and spent two weeks on the sidelines.
Privately, the Waratahs and the Australian officials were dirty because the culprit, Hamish Dalzell, had also been penalized for a high shot moments earlier that earned no further punishment.
Concussion is something Hooper is particularly familiar with.
The Wallabies are also understood to be being strapped at the training ground.
It is unclear when Hooper will play. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
Numerous sources, including in Rugby Australia, have also raised questions about the strength and conditioning methods being used under Dean Benton.
Doubts have arisen after several players have suffered injuries in training over the past few months.
There is a belief that the current group needs to be brought into shape because they are not up to test standards.
For now, Hooper, who returned to Australia on Sunday, is expected to rest and spend time with his family.
No time frame has been given for the No.7’s next move.
Sources believe he will miss the home Tests against the Springboks.
Fortunately, the Wallabies have discovered they can play without Hooper and be successful.
But perhaps they have also learned that humans are not machines.