Planet Rugby

Cooper to seize the day

05th November 2009 07:40

Gareth Cooper

Cooper: Handed number nine shirt

Gareth Cooper is determined to take his chance when Wales launch their autumn Test series against New Zealand at the Millennium Stadium on Saturday.

Cardiff Blues half-back Cooper has been handed Wales' number nine shirt in the absence of British and Irish Lions pair Mike Phillips and Dwayne Peel.

Phillips faces up to four months out because of an ankle injury, while Peel has not been released by his club Sale Sharks for a fixture that falls outside the International Rugby Board's November Test window.

But it is no new experience for 30-year-old Cooper, who started three of Wales' autumn games last year and now wins his 43rd cap.

He is a durable and experienced campaigner, a player who first appeared for Wales during the 2001 Six Nations when he enjoyed a try-scoring debut against Italy in Rome.

And after a slow start to his Blues career - he joined them from Gloucester this summer - Cooper's form has started gathering momentum.

"This was the sort of occasion I came back for," he said.

"I am delighted to be facing the All Blacks again.

"I missed out on the Six Nations last season, but was involved again on the summer tour to North America.

"It is always a big chance to play for your country, but especially in the scrum-half position, where over the last five or six years there has been great competition for the position.

"Everyone knows you have to take that opportunity when you get it because if you don't, you could be out of the international scene for a long time."

Wales have a dismal record against New Zealand, losing 20 successive Tests since beating them in 1953.

And while last year's Cardiff clash saw Wales threaten an upset for half the game - they led 9-6 at the interval before conceding 20 unanswered points - it will take a Herculean effort to shred the form book this time around.

"It was the best atmosphere I have ever felt on a rugby field last year - it lifted everyone," recalled Cooper.

"The noise around the stadium was probably the loudest I have ever heard.

"There was a surge of energy of the crowd getting behind you, and it lifted the players and contributed to a good first-half performance.

"Holding them at half-time was a good achievement, I have to say.

"But we realise on this occasion if we are going to get a result we have to play for 80 minutes.

"I need to be at my best on Saturday, and so does everybody else. If they outplay their opposite number we will do it.

"We have won two Grand Slams and beaten Australia a couple of times in recent years, so we know that we are good enough.

"It's just proving it against New Zealand, and we haven't been able to do that yet."

Comments

Be the first to comment on this story..


Character Count : 0/1900

Forthcoming Fixtures
FixtureDetails
All times are local
Heineken Cup
Friday , December 11
Glasgow vs Gloucester19:30
Munster vs Perpignan20:00
Saturday , December 12
Viadana vs Ospreys14:30
Ulster vs Stade Francais13:35
Northampton vs Treviso15:00
Cardiff Blues vs Toulouse15:45
Brive vs London Irish19:00
Scarlets vs Leinster18:00
Sunday , December 13
Biarritz vs Newport-Gwent D'gons13:45
Harlequins vs Sale12:45
Clermont Auvergne vs Leicester16:00
Bath vs Edinburgh15:00
More Heineken Cup fixtures
European Challenge Cup
Thursday , December 10
Newcastle vs Montauban19:45
Friday , December 11
Castres vs Saracens18:00
Toulon vs Rovigo18:30
Montpellier vs Olympus Madrid19:00
Saturday , December 12
Bucuresti vs Leeds Carnegie11:00
Overmach Parma vs Bourgoin13:00
Petrarca vs Albi14:00
Wasps vs Bayonne15:00
Worcester vs Connacht15:00
Racing Metro 92 vs Rugby Roma19:45
More European Challenge Cup fixtures
Recent Results
FixtureDetails
All times are local
Guinness Premiership
Sunday , December 6
Wasps 24 - 22 LeicesterWasps vs Leicester Report
More Guinness Premiership results
The Magners League
Cardiff Blues 21 - 9 ConnachtCardiff Blues vs Connacht Report
Newport-Gwent D'gons 30 - 14 LeinsterNewport-Gwent D
More The Magners League results
Top 14
Brive 27 - 21 Toulouse
Albi 20 - 9 Biarritz
Racing Metro Paris 28 - 15 Toulon
More Top 14 results
International Match
Saturday , December 5
Barbarians 25 - 18 New ZealandBarbarians vs New Zealand Report
More International Match results
Guinness Premiership
London Irish 16 - 16 WorcesterLondon Irish vs Worcester Report
Gloucester 25 - 13 NewcastleGloucester vs Newcastle Report
Northampton 15 - 13 BathNorthampton vs Bath Report
Saracens 15 - 13 SaleSaracens vs Sale Report
More Guinness Premiership results
The Magners League
Ospreys 19 - 14 MunsterOspreys vs Munster Report
More The Magners League results
Top 14
Bourgoin 16 - 9 CastresBourgoin vs Castres Report
Stade Francais 34 - 10 Bayonne
Perpignan 29 - 3 Montpellier
More Top 14 results
Guinness Premiership
Friday , December 4
Leeds Carnegie 27 - 30 HarlequinsLeeds Carnegie vs Harlequins Report
More Guinness Premiership results
The Magners League
Scarlets 16 - 17 EdinburghScarlets vs Edinburgh Report
Ulster 13 - 25 GlasgowUlster vs Glasgow Report
More The Magners League results
Top 14
Wednesday, December 2
Biarritz 20 - 23 Racing Metro Paris
More Top 14 results
International Match
Saturday , November 28
Italy 24 - 6 SamoaItaly vs Samoa Report
Scotland 6 - 9 ArgentinaScotland vs Argentina Report
Wales 12 - 33 AustraliaWales vs Australia Report
France 12 - 39 New ZealandFrance vs New Zealand Report
Ireland 15 - 10 South AfricaIreland vs South Africa Report
More International Match results
Guinness Premiership
Harlequins 35 - 29 GloucesterHarlequins vs Gloucester Report
More Guinness Premiership results