Pain of past losses driving Ashley-Cooper’s RWC campaign
Wallabies vice-captain Adam Ashley-Cooper said he’d use the pain of past losses in 2007 and 2011 as motivation for what will likely he his last World Cup.
The 31-year-old will join French club Bordeaux after the tournament and admitted that he has and will continue to share his past experiences with the squad’s younger members ahead of Australia’s opening match against Fiji.
“(In 2007) We went through the pool stages quite easily and then we got to a quarter final and got blown off the park by England, so it can be over in a matter of minutes,” the utility back said.
“It was such a shame and it took me a long time to get over that, but I certainly learnt a lot of lessons.”
By the time the 2011 tournament arrived, Ashley-Cooper was one of Australia’s most consistent performers on the international stage, missing just five Tests between 2008 and 2011.
“In 2011, I think consistency let us down. We lost that game against Ireland, we certainly didn’t play to the con