Michael Hooper says quarantine could be a good thing for the team as they prepare to take on the All Blacks. Video / Australian Rugby
Quarantine is now looking a lot more enticing to Wallabies coach Dave Rennie, who has praised the work of the New Zealand Government ahead of their two Bledisloe Cup tests in New Zealand.
The Wallabies depart for New Zealand tomorrow where they will enter the mandatory two-week isolation period, before matches on October 11 and 18 in Wellington and Auckland.
Initially, quarantine rules were getting in the way of the Wallabies experiencing an uninterrupted camp. Players would have been forced to isolate individually for three days upon arrival, before moving into bubbles limited to 15 for four days, and then 25 for the next seven.
After strong pushback from Rennie, those rules were altered, with the team now able to convene after three days. Rennie says he appreciates the work done by the Government and New Zealand Rugby.
Wallabies coach Dave Rennie is pleased the team can prepare in full in the lead-up to the Bledisloe Cup series. Photo / Photosport
"We're really happy with what's been done so far, we've got three days we're going to be locked down in our rooms, but outside of that we'll be able to train and prepare fully as a team," he says.
"It's a big step up from what was originally talked about, so we're appreciative of the New Zealand Government and New Zealand Rugby having helped make that happen."
Michael Hooper, who was today reappointed the team's captain in their first year under Rennie, is also positive about the fortnight indoors, despite the short turnaround it creates for the first test in the capital.
The Wallabies will come out of quarantine around 24 hours before kick-off, but Hooper believes it could be beneficial.
"We've got no other distractions, we can get prepared, we can stay together," he says.
"We could say being in quarantine's going to be a good thing for us and that's the way we'll be treating it. We're used to travelling the day before a game… we've been traveling the day of the game for our Super comp so we're used to it."
Hooper donned the captain's armband for all five years under former Wallabies coach Michael Cheika, and while Rennie is looking to create a new culture, he did not see the need for a change in captaincy.
"[Selecting him was] part of our thought process for a long time. He's played exceptionally well; I think he's been excellent for the Waratahs. He's a great leader as well."
Michael Hooper has retained the Wallabies captaincy. Photo / Photosport
While in quarantine, Hooper is keen to make the most of his coach, who he says is well-versed.
"Dave's been in about 30 quarantines so far, all over the world… with him at the front of the ship, he's going to have a good idea on how to get us through."
The Wallabies will touch down in Christchurch later this week following a training camp in the Hunter Valley in New South Wales. Their schedule once arriving has already been worked out, which Rennie says will have a relaxing start.
"[Arriving on Friday] allows us on Sunday and Monday to review and to have lots of zoom meetings and so on, so we'll make good use of the time."
