Hong Kong Sevens: Aussie legend Hooper has roller coaster start to new career, reveals nerves before debut
- Australia beat Fiji in opening game, crash to earth with late defeat by France
- New Zealand’s men and women make perfect starts to title defences
A wide-eyed Michael Hooper delivered a blunt assessment of how he felt in the minutes before making a long-awaited rugby sevens debut in the cauldron of Hong Kong Stadium.
Sporting a fresh cut on his lower lip, after an influential substitute’s cameo in Australia’s 12-0 afternoon victory over Fiji, Hooper said: “I was bloody nervous. Like, really nervous. On the sidelines, it just felt completely new: the whole draw out of the day, and the fans already going nuts.
“I have not started on the bench much, so to come on with the game in the balance was tough stuff.”
Hooper would receive a very early lesson in the slings and arrows of fortune delivered by merciless rugby sevens. In Australia’s second match, he was introduced late to help protect a lead over France.
Five minutes later, Hooper was marching down the tunnel, wearing a thousand-yard stare and ignoring autograph requests, after two late French tries inflicted a 19-14 defeat on the Aussies.
Men’s defending champions New Zealand, meanwhile, handsomely returned to form with a thumping 22-0 win over world series leaders Argentina, after overcoming Great Britain 12-7 in their opening match. The off-colour Argentines also lost to USA, who completed a perfect day with victory over GB.
