Deans slams 'unwarranted' abuse of Cooper

There may be a small part of Quade Cooper that is relieved his time in the spotlight at Rugby 2011 World Cup is almost over.

The Wallabies fly half has been copping flak from all angles since the moment he arrived in New Zealand and his disjointed on-field performances and stoney-faced demeanor have done little to divert the negative attention.

However, Australia coach Robbie Deans came out in support of Cooper in the aftermath of his side's 20-6 semi-final defeat to the All Blacks and insisted the 22-year-old did not deserve the constant vitriol directed his way.

"There has been a lot made of something that's pretty small, really, when you look at it in the light of the whole game,” said Deans.

“And that's tough for a young man. Whether he's warranted all that is a bit of a moot point.”

New Zealand coach Graham Henry fired a post-match parting shot at Cooper, suggesting he could not expect respect from the Kiwi public as he had not earned it.

Barrage of criticism

"I think Quade has brought a wee bit of that on himself," Henry said.

"He's got a wee bit of mileage to make up and he probably made up a bit tonight.”

Deans was clearly not as happy about Henry’s jibe as he has been with the way Cooper has calmly deflected the steady barrage of criticism.

"I've been very impressed actually with the way he's carried himself because clearly a lot of the dialogue has been unwarranted,” he said.

“It's easy for people who really have no knowledge of the man to take a pot-shot. I think the way he's carried himself has been impressive under the circumstances."

The 52-year-old coach said he was optimistic that Cooper had weathered the worst of the storm and was now in a position to move on, with an eye to achieving future successes with the Wallabies.

Running rugby

“There's two ways he can go. You can absorb it, accept it for what it is, but maintain your focus on the things that are important and keep going.

“Or you can let it get the better of you and turn your toes up. I'd like to think he won't be doing the latter.”

A good starting point for Cooper would be Friday’s battle for bronze with Wales at Eden Park.

While Deans admitted he was likely to shuffle his starting line-up for the match, Cooper will no doubt be hoping for another chance to display his best form, albeit belatedly, on the World Cup stage.

There is a perception that the lack of pressure in the fixture encourages the type of open, running rugby on which the fleet-footed Aussie number 10 thrives, and statistics appear to back up that belief.

The third-place play-offs at the past three Rugby World Cups have produced 14 tries in total and averaged more than 45 points a match.

The point is not lost on Cooper’s teammate Berrick Barnes, who predicted there would be plenty of points on offer against the Welsh.

“The best thing about a third-place play-off is you want to see running rugby, you want to see excitement and I think you'll get that," he said.

With one final chance to show he is more than just the pantomime villain of the tournament, Cooper will have his fingers crossed that it is him and not fellow playmaker Barnes who is selected to orchestrate Australia's attacks.