In a major boost for the Wallabies, Quade Cooper will make his return from injury this weekend, while the Western Force have signed two Test prospects.
After nine months on the sidelines, Cooper is back from injury and starts for the Kintetsu Liners in the Japanese Rugby League One.
Quade Cooper’s return
The 35-year-old ruptured his Achilles tendon in Australia‘s opening game of the Rugby Championship last season against Argentina.
He subsequently missed the remainder of the Test season, having also been absent for the series against England in July for a different injury.
The news comes as a boost for Wallabies boss Eddie Jones, who earlier this year tipped the playmaker to feature in another Rugby World Cup.
“We will need to have three 10s at the World Cup, Quade could be one of them, and the other two spots are wide open,” Jones said on ABC’s Offsiders show back in March.
The Liners have won just one of their 15 games this season and face off against fellow league strugglers, the Green Rockets.
Cooper lines up alongside long-time half-back partner and former Wallabies team-mate Will Genia.
Good chance Eddie Jones will be keeping tabs on how Liners get on this weekend – especially their returning No. 10.#rugbyjp @RugbyAUS #RWC2023 pic.twitter.com/NsapORWMSR
— Rich Freeman (@FreemanrugbyJPN) April 20, 2023
Western Force signings
Meanwhile, Jones’ options have been further boosted by a pair of Force signings.
2019 Wallabies loose forward Isi Naisarani has returned to Western Australia, signing with the Force until the end of the season. He returns to the Force after two years in Japan with the Shizuoka Blue Revs.
The Fijian-born utility forward arrives at the side he represented in 2017 after spells at the Brumbies and Rebels, racking up 61 Super Rugby caps before heading to Japan.
“I wanted to return here and do my best again,” Naisarani commented on his return.
“I’ve got lots to give back to the Force and Australia and am looking forward to being involved in the Super Rugby environment, playing good quality rugby again.
“Coming back here is like going back in time. It feels like a lifetime ago I was living here in Perth, so I’m excited to be back here where I started my career.”
Tizzano returns to boyhood team
Meanwhile, highly-rated openside flanker Carlo Tizzano has signed a two-year deal with the Western Force.
The 23-year-old returns to his home state after four years. He had a three-year stint at the Waratahs and one year at the Ealing Trailfinders in the RFU Championship.
The former Australian schoolboys and U20s star made his debut for the Force in 2019 and said he is excited to pull on the colours of his boyhood club again.
“I have always been a Force fan. When I was little, I always wanted to be the Honey Badger because I was a winger, then it changed to Hodgo [Matt Hodgson] when I became a flanker,” Tizzano said.
“Sadly, when I left the Force in 2019, I felt I needed to play Super Rugby. I believed that was the next step for me. So, it was so sad to leave; I left some really good mates and had so much fun playing in Rapid Rugby.”
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