RUGBY-AUSTRALIA/PREPARATIONS Wallabies captain Hooper says they will be thinking of late cricketer Phil Hughes

Record ID: 450938

  • Title: RUGBY-AUSTRALIA/PREPARATIONS Wallabies captain Hooper says they will be thinking of late cricketer Phil Hughes
  • Date: 27th November 2014
  • Summary: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (NOVEMBER 27, 2014) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF AUSTRALIA RUGBY UNION SQUAD INCLUDING LOCK ROB SIMMONS TRAINING AUSTRALIA RUGBY UNION CAPTAIN MICHAEL HOOPER, LOCK ROB SIMMONS AND CENTRE ROB HORNE IN NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) AUSTRALIA RUGBY UNION CAPTAIN, MICHAEL HOOPER, SAYING: "Yeah, I think, you know, it's news you never want to wake up to and I know all of us waking up this morning, checking our phones. It's obviously very well publicised and people sending out their thoughts and messages. You know for us as a team it was a pretty sombre mood, you know, you're talking about it as a group especially because you know we play in a sport where you don't see these things happen. You know, we all love our cricket, see these guys play and really, you know, a lot of guys have met the cricketers and have some good feelings towards them. So you know our thoughts and all our messages go back to him and his family and you know the cricket team back home to pull strong. Especially coming into what's a really big season, a big season back home for them. So I mean for us to see that it's tough and you know this weekend we'll be, you know, showing our messages hopefully strongly" AUSTRALIA PLAYERS RUNNING INTO SCRIMMAGING BAGS AUSTRALIA PLAYERS RUNNING AND PASSING BALL (SOUNDBITE) (English) AUSTRALIA RUGBY UNION CAPTAIN, MICHAEL HOOPER, SAYING: "Yeah, I mean, you know, through -- in Australia this year we've seen unfortunate things happen in rugby league and you know, they're probably a closer game to rugby union. So yeah, it's in the back of your mind, but you play it because there is that risk element there, you enjoy having the risk side of things and to push yourself and challenge yourself and that's, you know, what us as rugby players enjoy doing, that's why we're here and that's what life's about in our opinion" HOOPER AND PROP SEKOPE KEPU RUNNING AND PASSING BALL BETWEEN THEM AUSTRALIA TEAM TRAINING (SOUNDBITE) (English) AUSTRALIA RUGBY UNION CAPTAIN, MICHAEL HOOPER, SAYING: "I was very happy with the performance of a lot of players. I think you know, like I said, from the week before against the French our performance was a lot better. So we're on the up and we've got to continue doing that. It'll be a disappointment to go back down this week. So, everyone says that we are chasing consistency and that's in attack; (numbers) nine, 10, 12 have been improving there and in our forwards physicality is getting better and all those things have to be on this weekend. The English are a good team, they've played some very tough teams in the past five weeks and we know they're, know they're in good nick despite, despite what the ledger says. So it's going to be a good game" AUSTRALIA HEAD COACH MICHAEL CHEIKA (LEFT) AND ASSISTANT (SOUNDBITE) (English) AUSTRALIA RUGBY UNION CAPTAIN, MICHAEL HOOPER, SAYING: "What we've looked at a lot this tour is trying to get our, our back yard right, work on us and you know it's been different with a coach coming in and new staff coming in and having to go straight into big games and trying to work that out. So for us it's been, you know, much looking at our own back yard, getting those things right and then that translating into the weekend. And for the most part, you know having our last training run here today, our training has been really solid. And you know we've had topsy-turvy results, but you know, we're keen for this weekend and keen to keep trying to play to get the result that we want" AUSTRALIA TEAM PASSING BALL DOWN LINE TO HOOPER (SOUNDBITE) (English) AUSTRALIA RUGBY UNION CAPTAIN, MICHAEL HOOPER, SAYING: "To play sport and you know to be in a situation where, you know, this is a great thing that we do here, playing rugby and I am sure the cricketers feel the same way, to represent Australia. So you know we've got enough motivation this weekend and to wear a black arm band, and I'm sure when look down you'll be thinking of him and his family and you know, we've got a job to do, we'll be thinking about that probably, at the forefronts of our mind" VARIOUS OF AUSTRALIA RUGBY UNION TEAM TRAINING
  • Embargoed: 12th December 2014 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: United Kingdom
  • Country: United Kingdom
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA5OO8T8WUPIVPQ9VZXHEDTTXP7
  • Story Text: The captain of the Australia rugby union team playing in Europe said on Thursday (November 27) their thoughts are with the friends and family of cricketer Phillip Hughes, who died in Sydney after being hit on the neck by a ball.
    The Wallabies will wear black armbands when they face England at Twickenham on Saturday.
    Captain Michael Hooper told a news conference in London Thursday: "Yeah, I think, you know, it's news you never want to wake up to and I know all of us waking up this morning, checking our phones. It's obviously very well publicised and people sending out their thoughts and messages. You know for us as a team it was a pretty sombre mood, you know, you're talking about it as a group especially because you know we play in a sport where you don't see these things happen.
    "You know, we all love our cricket, see these guys play and really, you know, a lot of guys have met the cricketers and have some good feelings towards them. So you know our thoughts and all our messages go back to him and his family and you know the cricket team back home to pull strong. Especially coming into what's a really big season, a big season back home for them. So I mean for us to see that it's tough and you know this weekend we'll be, you know, showing our messages hopefully strongly."
    Hooper said players in sports like rugby enjoy the element of risk.
    "Yeah, I mean, you know, through -- in Australia this year we've seen unfortunate things happen in rugby league and you know, they're probably a closer game to rugby union. So yeah, it's in the back of your mind, but you play it because there is that risk element there, you enjoy having the risk side of things and to push yourself and challenge yourself and that's, you know, what us as rugby players enjoy doing, that's why we're here and that's what life's about in our opinion," said the Australia skipper.
    The Australians have lost to France and Ireland on this tour, but Hooper said they're getting better.
    "I was very happy with the performance of a lot of players. I think you know, like I said, from the week before against the French our performance was a lot better. So we're on the up and we've got to continue doing that. It'll be a disappointment to go back down this week. So, everyone says that we are chasing consistency and that's in attack; (numbers) nine, 10, 12 have been improving there and in our forwards physicality is getting better and all those things have to be on this weekend.
    "The English are a good team, they've played some very tough teams in the past five weeks and we know they're, know they're in good nick despite, despite what the ledger says. So it's going to be a good game."
    New Australia coach Michael Cheika has made two changes to the starting side for Saturday's match.
    Rob Horne, omitted for the 26-23 loss to Ireland last week, has been named on the left wing, with Adam Ashley-Cooper shifting to centre to replace the injured Tevita Kuridrani. Henry Speight will shift to the right wing. Blindside flanker Sean McMahon comes in to the side at the expense of Luke Jones in the only unforced change from the starting side that took on the Irish.
    Hooper said the Australians had been concentrating on themselves, not England and training has been "really solid".
    "What we've looked at a lot this tour is trying to get our, our back yard right, work on us and you know it's been different with a coach coming in and new staff coming in and having to go straight into big games and trying to work that out. So for us it's been, you know, much looking at our own back yard, getting those things right and then that translating into the weekend.
    "And for the most part, you know having our last training run here today, our training has been really solid. And you know we've had topsy-turvy results, but you know, we're keen for this weekend and keen to keep trying to play to get the result that we want."
    Referring again to Hughes, Hooper said: "To play sport and you know to be in a situation where, you know, this is a great thing that we do here, playing rugby and I am sure the cricketers feel the same way, to represent Australia. So you know we've got enough motivation this weekend and to wear a black arm band, and I'm sure when look down you'll be thinking of him and his family and you know, we've got a job to do, we'll be thinking about that probably, at the forefronts of our mind."
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