Rugby: Hooper free to take on All Blacks

Michael Hooper is free to play the All Blacks this weekend. Photo / Getty

Michael Hooper's judiciary saga is over with the Wallabies flanker cleared by SANZAR's appeals committee to face the All Blacks in Saturday's Rugby Championship decider in Sydney.

The decision on Sunday ends a drawn out and stressful time for Hooper, who is delighted he can now focus on the clash with New Zealand at ANZ Stadium which doubles as the first of two Bledisloe Cup tests.

"Glad it's wrapped up and I can really look forward to this week and moving forward into the first Bledisloe," Hooper said.

"It's been a little bit tough but I have been preparing as if I've been right to play and I'll be trying to get into the team for this week."

After a painstaking process, stretching more than six hours over two sittings, Hooper was found guilty of striking Pumas five-eighth Nicolas Sanchez in an off-the-ball incident during Australia's 34-9 win over Argentina last weekend in Mendoza and was given a one-game ban.

The No.7 was initially facing a two-game ban but due to his good character and unblemished disciplinary record, the Wallabies vice-captain had his penalty cut and was told he could serve the ban by missing Manly's Sydney club semi-final against Randwick on Saturday after being named on the Marlins bench.

A day after Hooper was handed the suspension, SANZAR announced it wasn't satisfied with the sanction imposed and would appeal the decision by judicial officer Nigel Hampton QC before the ARU cross-appealed on the grounds that the ban was too heavy.

Hampton dismissed Hooper's defence that he pushed Sanchez off with an open hand "similar to a fend by a ball carrier attempting to stop himself from being tackled".

But he found Hooper's striking offence to be "at the lower-end entry point which stipulates a two-week suspension".

Hooper's availability will come as a huge relief to Wallabies coach Michael Cheika as the Australians look to break a 13-year Bledisloe Cup drought.

The test on Saturday is followed a week later by a return bout at Auckland's Eden Park.

- AAP