The Wallabies are preparing to be without key forward Tom Hooper on the spring tour after the abrasive back-rower re-injured his right shoulder while playing for Exeter in the English Premiership.
Hooper left the field in the first half of the Chiefs’ clash with Bristol over the weekend after picking up “a bang” on the same shoulder he injured while playing for Australia against Ireland in July.
The 25-year-old suffered a hairline fracture of the scapula in the Sydney clash, which led to him being sidelined for seven weeks. Hooper missed four Tests, against France, Italy and Japan (in Osaka and Townsville), before returning in late August against Argentina in Salvador de Jujuy, and then South Africa in Perth.
Hooper underwent scans on his injury on Monday, leaving Wallabies coach Les Kiss sweating on the results ahead of the opening Test of the November tour in London on Monday, November 9 (AEDT).
Hooper and Taniela Tupou missed the Bledisloe series in October after returning to their clubs in England and France respectively, but both were last week named to return to the Wallabies’ squad for November as “Giteau Law” selections, along with Hunter Paisami (Japan).
“He got a bang on his shoulder, which he hurt before, hopefully it is not a bad injury,” Exeter director of rugby Rob Baxter said post-game. “He will probably have to have a scan on it. Hopefully he has just aggravated it, but we won’t know properly for a little while. It is the shoulder he hurt playing for Australia against Ireland.”
The Wallabies are due to begin training in London next week ahead of a first-up clash with England at Twickenham. Another fracture would likely see Hooper ruled out of the four-Test tour.
Kiss and Wallabies coaching staff have this week formulated contingency plans, with six-Test back-rower Nick Champion de Crespigny on stand-by.
With Charlie Cale also out injured, the Force forward replaced Hooper on the bench for the opening Bledisloe Cup clash in Auckland, after the Exeter star returned to his club.
The Wallabies’ back row stocks are shallow due to a number of injuries, with Cale, Pete Samu and Langi Gleeson all unavailable.
Kiss could also turn to young Brumbies lock/back-rower Toby Macpherson, who was drafted into the Wallabies squad for the Bledisloe Cup series and is on tour with Australia A in the USA.
Bullocking Reds back-rower Joe Brial could also be a smoky after a strong performance at No.8 in Australia A’s 61-12 win over the US.
Another strong option for a clash with England could be two-Test Wallaby back-rower Josh Kemeny, who has been in dominant form for Northhampton for the last few years. Kemeny, 27, joined the Saints after playing for the Wallabies in 2023, and has stayed in contact with Rugby Australia officials in recent years.
The Australia A team will meet the Eagles again in New Jersey on Sunday, and cross-code star Zac Lomax is set to get a run after missing out on selection in the first clash in Nashville. So too Luke Reimer and Corey Toole, and coach Stephen Larkham is also likely to start a new halves partnership of Kalani Thomas and Harry McLaughlin-Phillips.