Wallabies rocked by mid-series Cooper verdict

The Wallabies look set to lose gun playmaker Quade Cooper for their entire Test series against England.

The veteran No.10 was in the line-up to play the opener in Perth on Saturday, before a calf injury in the warm-up ended his night before it had started.

Australia managed to overcome the setback and beat the old enemy 30-28, despite copping an early red card, to kick off the series.

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But the loss of Cooper will sting going forward, with two Tests still to play in the trilogy Down Under.

The Sydney Morning Herald reports Cooper, 34, will miss the game in Brisbane on Saturday, and is almost certain to also miss the third tie in Sydney the following week.

In Perth, Wallabies coach Dave Rennie was forced to pull James O’Connor from pre-game corporate commitments to pull on the boots and play. Noah Lolesio was brought into the starting side as Cooper’s replacement.

The Wallabies hope giving Cooper the rest of this series off will allow him to recover in time for their Rugby Championship tilt.

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