England v Australia: Michael Hooper braced for breakdown battle

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Australia’s Michael Hooper says he is prepared for England flankers Tom Curry and Sam Underhill to try usurp him David Pocock at the breakdown of their Rugby World Cup quarter-final.
Curry and Underhill admitted on Thursday it could be”surreal” to face two players they idolised rising up.
“It’s definitely going to be a fantastic struggle,” said Hooper.
“We’ve completed our work . I think they’re fantastic players. They’re top-tier global back row”
31, pocock, has announced he will retire from international rugby at the end of his third World Cup effort, if he takes England, while Hooper, 27, will be playing with with his Test.
21, 23 underhill, and Curry, have just 28 caps between them. They’ll be starting together for the next time.
However, Hooper said that Pocock’s experience and his isn’t necessarily an edge.
He added:”It’s great to have expertise but also being young is of benefit. I’ve been before, being wide-eyed things.
“The ruck is a terrific portion of the sport. It’s going to be, as always, a massive part of the test game.”
Frenchman Jerome Garces, that will referee the match on Saturday, was famous for being overly lenient in the breakdown from a few pundits in the wake of the Springboks’ defeat by New Zealand on the championship’s opening weekend.
Hooper, whose side struggled with subject in the tournament, is convinced that the Wallabies can now work with whatever interpretation that the Frenchman brings into the contest.
“I have observed that the ruck being refereed a multitude of ways, not any one way specifically. Thus, it’s made it rather tricky there,” he said.
“The way we start the start the match and adapt to what’s going on out there is quite crucial for all of us.”
England scrum-half Ben Youngs states the cancellation of their final suit against France because of Typhoon Hagibis had given them the chance.
Eddie Jones’ side may have experienced a fortnight if they kick-off with their last, in Oita outing a 39-10 win on a 14-man Argentina October.
“We’ve been able to get our teeth into Australia before, take a have a look at their footage and the pattern we would like to play,” said Youngs.
“We’re feeling fresh and ready to go.”
Centre Henry Slade has been brought by england coach Jones into the side as a portion of a reshuffle that found George Ford dropped to his Six Nations and the seat 10-12-13 combination of Owen Farrell, Manu Tuilagi and Slade .
Slade’s final international start was from a knee injury restricting him to substitute looks against Tonga and Argentina since.
Tuilagi believes the trio can rediscover their best form immediately.
“Henry is massive for us,” he explained.
“He can play, run, kick, and he can do it all round, so for him in our backline adds a huge role to our game.
“With Faz at 10, we have been around for a little while and know each other nicely. Hopefully that will come out tomorrow.”
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