Cooper out to banish bad memories

Reds fly-half Quade Cooper is ready to forget his worst-ever game and lead his side to a moral-boosting victory over the Chiefs this coming weekend.

Reds fly-half Quade Cooper is ready to forget his worst-ever game and lead his side to a moral-boosting victory over the Chiefs this coming weekend.

Cooper, at the time just 18, endured his worst ever game of rugby at Suncorp Stadium in 2007 – dropping the ball seven times and breaking down in tears after the game.

The Reds lost 21-19 to the Chiefs that day but now the talented fly-half is looking to rectify the past as the Reds travel to the Waikato Stadium on Saturday – the very province where Cooper was born.

So bad was that performance from Cooper that it was posted on You Tube soon after as a goof-ups video.

With his family watching the game Cooper admitted he let the pressure get to him.

“I've thought a lot about that game,” Cooper told The New Zealand Herald.

“Before that game and leading up to it I put a lot of pressure on myself.

“I really wanted to have a good game but the case was I probably had the worst game I had ever played in my life.”

Now showing far more maturity in an improving Reds line-up, the bigger and wiser Cooper knows it won't be any easier on Saturday against the form side of the competition, but he is better prepared.

“It will be an even bigger challenge to be back home but I think I learned a lot last year from all the ups and downs we had as a team,” he added.

“That sort of benefited me this year, I've had a lot more ups this year than downs.

“It's just footy. I've been playing since I was three and I can't stress that enough, it's only footy.”