1 week ago
Before deciding to give Sevens Rugby a ace pinch nan Australian squad up of nan Paris Olympics adjacent year, erstwhile Wallabies skipper Michael Hooper reached retired to Sonny Bill Williams for advice.
The consequence from nan Kiwi cross-code prima was brutal: 'Don't do it.'
Hooper admitted nan blunt words from Williams - who represented New Zealand successful Sevens astatine nan 2016 Olympics successful Rio - 'didn't capable him pinch a heap of confidence', but it didn't deter him from pursuing a caller sporting challenge.
'I haven't spoken to a immense magnitude of guys [who person made nan move from 15s to Sevens], but I do want to get a batch of accusation from nan guys who do play sevens and I request to thin connected them a lot,' he told nan Sydney Morning Herald.
'I want to prime their brains because it is simply a different game.'
Before deciding to springiness Sevens Rugby a ace pinch Australia up of nan Paris Olympics adjacent year, erstwhile Wallabies skipper Michael Hooper reached retired to Sonny Bill Williams for advice
The consequence from nan Kiwi cross-code prima was sadistic (Williams is pictured, playing for nan All Blacks wherever he won 2 World Cups)
Hooper was a glaring omission from Eddie Jones' World Cup squad, pinch nan coach bizarrely emotion nan ex-captain 'wasn't an due domiciled model'
After 125 Tests for nan Wallabies, Hooper, 32, knows he needs to deed nan crushed running.
The dressed up openside flanker confirmed he had offers overseas to stay successful nan 15-a-side code, but perchance becoming an Olympian has sizeable appeal.
Hooper was a glaring omission from Eddie Jones' World Cup squad, and his absence proved decisive, pinch Australia failing to advancement beyond nan group shape for nan first clip successful embarrassing scenes.
He has already made an belief astatine Sevens training successful Sydney, pinch scrum half Matt Gonzalez labelling his caller teammate a 'real pest'.
'Having him present lifts everyone's competitiveness. He's a existent competitor,' Gonzalez told Wide World of Sports.
The seasoned has already made a large belief aft conscionable 1 training convention arsenic he chases his Olympic dream
'He had 1 afloat training convention pinch america coming [Monday] and we've seen already astatine nan breakdown that he's going to beryllium a existent pest, moreover astatine training, truthful we're going to person to beryllium connected our crippled successful position of that stuff.
'We do a batch of seven-on-seven activity and it's usually two-hand touch and nan breakdown's benignant of near unsocial a small spot to springiness nan attacking squad a chance, and Hoops was conscionable benignant of successful location getting his hands astir nan ball, pulling nan shot out, truthful if we weren't location speedy capable he'd rip nan shot out.
'It's bully for us; it keeps america alert and accountable.'
Hooper will subordinate nan sevens programme fulltime successful January and is hoping to debut successful Perth during a world tourney connected nan Australia Day agelong weekend.
