Sidelined Wallabies captain Michael Hooper will re-enter the Test rugby cauldron for the first time since withdrawing from the Argentina tour in September citing “mindset” issues, as national coach Dave Rennie named the 121-Test player in his 36-man squad for Australia’s tour of Europe starting next week.
Although 123-Test veteran James Slipper will continue as captain on the upcoming tour, the return of Hooper, 30, the Wallabies’ talisman, is a boost for a side struggling for form and confidence in the run up to the 2023 Rugby World Cup in September.