Australian rugby was at a crossroads.
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It's December 2022 and the Wallabies, the jewel in Rugby Australia's crown, had slumped to another losing season. With few signs of improvement, the side seemed to be on track for a disastrous World Cup.
Patience was wearing thin after three years of diminishing returns under coach Dave Rennie. So when Eddie Jones was sacked by England, RA pounced.
The former Wallabies coach was back on a five-year deal incorporating a British and Irish Lions series in 2025 and a home World Cup in 2027.
After years of losing, the veteran decided it's time for a clean out. Michael Hooper and Quade Cooper headline a lengthy list of senior players Jones has moved on.
In their place are a host of young guns the coach hopes to build his team around for the next five years.
Tom Hooper, Carter Gordon and Mark Nawaqanitawase headline a group ready to lead the Wallabies into battle as they kick off the side's World Cup campaign against Georgia early Sunday morning.
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Jones has named the most inexperienced Australian team to contest a match in the tournament's history, but he remains confident the squad has what it takes to return the gold jersey to its former glory.
"It's been 20 years since Australia has picked a young team like this," Jones said. "It shows a changing of the guard. This is a new team that wants to take Australian rugby forward. We want to play a game that enthuses people in Australia to want to follow the Wallabies.
"We want to be a team everyone in Australia admires, respects and wants to watch play. This group of young men have the opportunity to do that."
Jones took a risk in selecting players most Australians had never heard of to represent their country at a World Cup.
Even in the wider rugby community, few were familiar with Gordon prior to a breakout season with the Melbourne Rebels.
Richie Arnold is one of the best forwards in France's Top 14, but has long been overshadowed by his twin, Rory.
Few had frontrowers Blake Schoupp, Matt Faessler or Zane Nongorr in the World Cup squad at the start of the season.
As for Tom Hooper, ACT officials have long known he was destined to represent his country. Outside Canberra, however, the only Hooper in the spotlight was Michael.
Even Hooper didn't think he was a chance of playing at the World Cup after he suffered a rare foot injury during the pre-season.
The fracture came on the back of a shoulder reconstruction and doctors told him he would spend four months on the sidelines.
Remarkably, the 22-year-old returned to the field in round 11 of the Super Rugby season, just three months later.
"A lot of times I thought the dream was over," Hooper said. "The World Cup was the goal at the start of the year so when I found out the news about my foot it was heartbreaking. Then when I got back, I wasn't thinking about the World Cup.
"It would've been ambitious of me to say that was a goal when I got back, my goal was to perform for the Brumbies. I was lucky enough to start in the [Super Rugby] semi-final and that allowed me to be wearing the gold jersey a couple of weeks later."
An Australian Under 18 and Junior Wallabies representative, Hooper always had talent but was far from the finished product.
"It's hard to work out what their trajectory is at that age," Hooper's Junior Wallabies coach Ben Mowen said. "We see a lot of talented kids come through that don't go on, others have potential and launch off that."
The first thing ACT staff overhauled was his diet. Goodberry's and Kingsley's Chicken were out, replaced by a lean diet.
Next came the training routine, with Hooper spending hours on the field and in the gym shedding weight and transforming his body.
Once he had developed the physical qualities, it was time to craft his game on the field.
Hooper worked closely with former Brumbies coaches Dan McKellar and Laurie Fisher poring over footage in the video room and refining his skill set.
The loose forward acknowledges it was tough, but knows it was worth it.
"I came in as a 130 kilo kid looking like a couch potato," he said. "I was a beanbag with arms and legs and the Brumbies turned me into a body that can play Super Rugby.
"From there I spent plenty of time in the office with Laurie Fisher and Dan McKellar making tweaks to my game. I owe a lot to them and Dan Hooper, they put a lot of time into me at a young age."
Hooper is quick to credit his parents, Lloyd and Helen, for laying the foundation for Tom and younger brother Lachlan's careers.
The boys grew up in a rough and tumble farm in Bathurst, Lloyd's only rule was no fighting in the house.
"That didn't mean no fighting," Hooper said. "It just meant take it out the backyard and sort it out."
As for Helen, Hooper is yet to live down the day last year he labelled his mum a witch.
It was meant as a term of endearment, however the youngster quickly received a rap over the knuckles.
Looking back, Hooper owes much of his success to his parent's sacrifices.
"Dad taught us how to play the game and values to live by at a young age," he said. "Mum taught us the mindset off the field, making sure we're respectful to coaches, good teammates and a good person. Dad set the tone on what a man has to be, me and my brother have tried our best to follow suit."
It remains to be seen whether Jones' crop of enthusiastic rookies will shine on the big stage or wilt under the spotlight, but confidence within the squad is high.
There is optimism a win over Georgia will provide momentum ahead of crucial matches against Fiji and Wales.
The players know the time for talking is over. Now, according to Hooper, there's only one thing left to do.
"Win the bloody thing."
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