Wallabies legend reveals why he turned down Lions invite
Former Wallabies skipper Michael Hooper admits time has caught up with him after turning down the opportunity of a final playing farewell against the British and Irish Lions.
Hooper was invited to play for the combined Australian and New Zealand XV against the Lions in Adelaide, but told Stan Sport's Inside Line podcast he felt his body was no longer up to the rigours of facing the world's best players.
This masthead reported earlier this week that Hooper would not feature in the game, after the former Wallabies captain finished his eight-game stint with Japanese side Toyota Verblitz last month.
'I've played the Lions before, I know that they're a week out from a three-game Test series, and it's getting pointy end of that tour, and you've got probably a fully-fit starting team who's going to play against the Wallabies a week later, champing at the bit, battle-hardened,' Hooper said.
'And I looked at myself and I thought, 'Well, I've had a good time in Japan, they pour a good Asahi [beer], they make a nice rice ball at the local conveni [convenience store].
'I'm about eight weeks to 10 weeks out of being battle-hardened, not in a Test environment. So I'd have to come home now, train by myself, maybe try and get a run for Manly – which would have been cool as well – but come up against those [Lions] guys in a team that you pulled together for a week.
'As a young guy? Perhaps two years, four years, five years, six years ago – oh my God, how good.
'As an almost 34-year-old who made a fleeting comeback? No, it didn't sound like a game that would be a fairytale ending for me. Not that I was ever after a fairytale ending.'
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