REACTION: Fans and pundits hail Cooper heroics after inspiring Test return

Quade Cooper cemented his position as a Wallabies legend on Sunday after slotting a last minute penalty to down the Springboks on the Gold Coast.

The 33-year-old was recalled to Test rugby for the first time since 2017 by head coach Dave Rennie and kept his nerve in the final play of the match to nail a 45-metre penalty kick and seal a 28-26 win. Full match highlights are available below:

The fly-half didn’t miss a single kick throughout the 80 minutes and Cooper racked up an impressive 23 points to secure a much needed win in the Rugby Championship over the reigning world champions.

With 71 caps to his name Cooper is one of the most experienced fly-halves to represent the Wallabies and this latest performance may have confirmed his place in the Test match squad for the remainder of the competition.

IT HAD TO BE HIM 🤯 Quade Cooper knocks over the match winning penalty.

The Rugby Championship. Every Match. Ad-free. Live & On Demand.#StanSportAU | #RSAvAUS | #TRC2021 pic.twitter.com/XNePvw3ClR

— Stan Sport (@StanSportAU) September 12, 2021

Winger Andrew Kellaway scored Australia’s only try of the match in the first half but it was the consistent boot of Cooper which cancelled out the three tries scored by the Springboks.

“Quade is a big-time player and he stepped up and said ‘I’ve got it’ and he nailed it,” said Michael Hooper, who equalled George Gregan’s record for most Tests as Wallabies captain after leading his side for a 59th time.

This win leaves the Wallabies in third place in The Rugby Championship after three rounds and it is their first win of the competition following a difficult set of results against the All Blacks.

Cooper made his Test debut in 2008 and is regarded as one of the game’s greatest mavericks due to his incredible handling skills and silky footwork which has devastated defences over the past decade.

Here is how the rugby world reacted to Cooper’s heroics on the Gold Coast.

REACTION

Quade Cooper

That’s it. That’s the tweet pic.twitter.com/BdXxV8f9nf

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— World Rugby (@WorldRugby) September 12, 2021

Surely that kick gets @QuadeCooper his Australian citizenship??!!

— Drew Mitchell (@drew_mitchell) September 12, 2021

What a test.. @wallabies

Welcome back @QuadeCooper .. 👏🏼 fairytale stuff

💚💛💚💛

— Matt Giteau 🇦🇺 (@giteau_rugby) September 12, 2021

Quade Cooper, take a bow! 😮 pic.twitter.com/4iTM9tO4Uw

— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) September 12, 2021

You beautyyyy!!! @QuadeCooper 🔥🔥🔥 @wallabies 🇦🇺

— Kurtley Beale (@kurtley_beale) September 12, 2021

Quade Cooper gets interviewed about his ridiculously amazing match winning kick. What’s the first thing he says? How much he loves Sonny Bill Williams and thanks him for being a friend and supporter. Class. Pure class.#RSAvAUS

— Declan Keyes-Bevan (@deckeyesbevan) September 12, 2021

🧊 Man of the moment @QuadeCooper.#Wallabies #RSAvAUS #TRC2021 pic.twitter.com/aDcuGilOpP

— Wallabies (@wallabies) September 12, 2021

There were the redemption stories we saw coming and there were the ones we didn’t. He’s a proud man and he’s been through the fire. Fires. He deserves it all. A pleasure to watch Quade Cooper. Thank you.

— Georgina Robinson (@geerob) September 12, 2021

Give the man his bloody citizenship!

Congrats uce @QuadeCooper 🔥🙌🏽 pic.twitter.com/w1ZHlNIUMq

— Hendrix Tui (@Hendrix2E) September 12, 2021

Quade Cooper.

Balls like walls.

— Paul Williams (@thepaulwilliams) September 12, 2021