Hooper frustrated by Wallaby trios drinking session as Bledisloe opener looms

Wallabies captain Michael Hooper says Marika Koroibete, Isi Naisarani and Pone Fa’amausili didn’t meet the rest of the team’s expectations after a late night drinking session saw them stood down.

Koroibete’s ban means Andrew Kellaway will earn a maiden Test start on the wing in Saturday’s Bledisloe Cup opener.

Michael Hooper and Marika Koroibete moments before the winger was shown a red card against France. Credit:AP

Rennie said on Wednesday that a large part of the squad was “pretty angry” after being told the trio kicked on after a team dinner by drinking together in their rooms well after curfew.

While nothing illegal occurred, all three were not considered for selection in the first of Australia’s three Tests against New Zealand.

With Koroibete out of action, Kellaway has been named on the left wing for his first All Blacks assignment, while Jordan Petaia lines up on the other edge in his return from a quad injury.

Naisarani played at No.8 in Australia’s series-clinching win against France in Brisbane but has been replaced by Harry Wilson, who was always likely to return at the back of the scrum.

Rennie and his leadership group have put a line in the sand when it comes to off-field behaviour. Sources close to the trio say they have accepted the punishment.

While it is unclear which player told Wallabies management about the incident, Hooper backed the decision and subsequent penalty that has been an unwanted distraction in Australia’s Bledisloe build-up.

“It has been disappointing,” Hooper said on Thursday. “We’ve spoken a lot about what it’s going to take to beat this All Blacks team and that never aligned with the decisions that were made. It was dealt with earlier in the week, so it’s allowed us to move on. We’re in a good place arriving here in Auckland.

“You can judge a lot by people’s actions and their actions have been superb since that began. They’ve been training hard and doing their own thing at times to get back in the shape they need to play.”

Isi Naisarani and Marika Koroibete at the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan. Credit:Getty

Asked whether as captain he had to address an upset playing group as a result of their teammates’ actions, Hooper said: “We’ve had conversations in the group and we’ve moved forward with it. That’s all we can do.

“People will make mistakes and we understand that ... [we want to] play our game and best rugby.”

Koroibete’s absence, in particular, is a bitter pill to swallow for Rennie. Not only did Koroibete have a great series against France, but Wallabies management worked hard to clear him of suspension for a red card in the third Test that saw him miss 75 minutes of the match.

“We played 75 minutes without him last Test,” Rennie said. “We’ll do 80 this week. They’re good men who made a poor decision. They’re paying a price. They’re working hard to earn trust and respect [back].”

Kellaway will be aiming to seize his chance from the first whistle after two brief appearances off the bench in the first and second Tests against France.

“He has played really well in his cameos off the bench,” Rennie said. “We’re really excited for him.”

Koroibete and Naisarani have already announced they are departing Australian rugby at the end of the year to take up overseas contracts.

The three players will be eligible for selection for the second Test in Auckland next Saturday. Australia need to beat the All Blacks at least once on New Zealand soil if they are to regain the Bledisloe Cup for the first time since 2002.

“There wasn’t talk about sending them home,” Rennie said on Wednesday. “We’ve got a big squad [of] 42 players. 39 understood the importance of getting together and getting connected and having a quiet beer. Three guys lacked the discipline required beyond that.”

Watch every match of the Bledisloe Cup and The Rugby Championship with live, ad-free and on-demand coverage on Stan Sport starting this Saturday 7 August from 4:30pm AEST.

Tom Decent is a journalist with The Sydney Morning Herald

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