It’s a Rugby World Cup year, which means it’s a busy six months ahead for Australia’s elite players. Currently in the midst of their respective Super Rugby campaigns, our Wallaby stars (and potential players) will soon be facing the might of the All Blacks, ‘Boks and Pumas, before heading over to the Old Dart to face the world. Our boys are up for the challenge, of course, and perhaps none more so than the Wallabies’ inspirational leader and Red Bull ambassador Michael Hooper. To test his reflexes, we fired some curveballs at him while he had a spare moment. We reckon he did okay …

Excluding yourself (obviously), who do you consider to be the three best openside-flankers in world rugby today?

The three best openside-flankers in world rugby … I would have to say one - Richie McCaw from New Zealand; he is experienced and still a great player in my opinion. Two - Sean O’Brien from Ireland; he is a really damaging ball runner and gets through a lot of work on the field. The third would have to be either Kieran Read from New Zealand or Duane Vermeulen from South Africa. Both guys directly have to face a lot throughout the year and are always really damaging on the field week in, week out.

What special abilities are needed to be a good openside-flanker?

I think you definitely need to have a pretty well-rounded game. You’re in a position that doesn’t have the most defined role, so must-haves are: great fitness, and being able to adapt to the way a game’s playing out. Various factors might be whether the conditions are cold and wet, and whether there’s a lot of attack being thrown at you, or if all you’re doing is attacking.

What is Michael Cheika’s most unusual characteristic as a coach?

It’s a really good characteristic - he uses a lot of analogies in the way he describes the game and the way the team is tracking. He uses metaphors all the time, which is really interesting – sometimes they’re hilarious, sometimes they’re left of centre, but it’s something that keeps us on our toes. It also lightens the mood a lot, particularly after a tough loss.

What kinds of issues do off-contract players have to deal with in regards to choosing an overseas club post over an Australian Super franchise?

It’s definitely something all players have to face at some point, the big lure of overseas rugby. There’s obviously, first and foremost, different places for people to travel to, and the money involved is also a big factor. I think that the Super Rugby competition is the best rugby competition in the world. It’s a big decision and a very personal choice for the individual.

How pumped will you be about watching the Sevens Rugby when it makes its debut at the Olympics in Rio next year?

I’ll be very pumped! I would love to see how the guys track when they get over to Rio. Obviously it’s going to be massive for our sport having different countries competing in Sevens. It should be a really exciting spectacle, particularly as it has gained traction in the World Series over the past couple of years.

Photo by Brett Hemmings / Red Bull Content Pool

Why have the Wallabies been so successful at World Cups played in Britain/Europe?

You look back at those teams and they were great teams, with good leaders behind them as well. I’m not sure why it is that they’ve managed to do so well in Europe, but we’d definitely like to go down the same track.

How are places on the Wallabies’ team bus decided? Is there a hierarchy (captain sits up the front, etc.)?

It’s sort of an unspoken hierarchy. Generally, the longer you’ve been around, the further you sit towards the back; so you have guys who’ve played 100-odd games towards the back, with the guys up the front who are fairly new. And people hold onto their spots, too – it’s a pretty personal thing.

What are the major differences between Australia’s World Cup squad of 2011 and how this year’s squad is shaping up?

There’s going to be a lot of faces that were there at the last Cup, which is great to see. But then also a lot of fresh faces, too. I wasn’t there in 2011; I had a seat back home watching, and that was a very exciting team to watch play. This year, now having been in the mix for the past couple of years, I know a lot of people personally, so I guess the biggest factor for me would be knowing the guys, their talents, and what they’re like off the field.

Who is the hardest footballer you have come up against? What happened between you two on the field to leave such a lasting impression?

I wouldn’t know who the toughest footy player I’ve come up against is; there’s guys I know I wouldn’t like to play against. I remember in one of my first games, I played the Sharks over in South Africa, and I knocked one of the props to the ground and went into a ruck about a minute later. He absolutely cleaned me up in the ruck, and told me that he wouldn’t let me go the whole game, and he got me a couple times through the night. He really made it a tough night for me, and I was quite bruised and sore the next day with my tail between my legs … Not going to give you that name, though! [laughs]