A YEAR ago the prospect of even playing for the Wallabies, let alone being a part of their Rugby World Cup squad, was not something on Tom Hooper's radar.
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However, that dream became a reality for the Bathurst flanker on Thursday night when he was named in Eddie Jones' 33-man Wallabies squad for the upcoming World Cup campaign in France.
It's been a whirlwind year for Hooper, who recovered from a shoulder injury he sustained in the Super Rugby semi-final only to pick up a foot injury during a pre-season match in February.
He fought through those setbacks to make his Wallabies debut against South Africa just over a month ago.
The former Saint Stanislaus' College student and current ACT Brumbies player has racked up three test caps for the Wallabies, including an appearance in both of the team's recent Bledisloe Cup matches.
He bounced back from another shoulder injury he picked up on debut to produce a pair of strong performances in defeats against the All Blacks, which included his first try for the Wallabies during the Dunedin test.
Now he has the chance to impress on Rugby's biggest stage.
It's an opportunity that looked unlikely at the start of the year, but it's the pain he associates with those tougher times that drives Hooper to try and reach his full potential.
"I got a bad foot injury at the start of the year which put me out for three months of the Super Rugby season and the surgeon originally said that it was going to take me four months to come back, which would have put me out for the whole season," he said.
"I remember sitting with my mum and my aunty in the waiting room and that being a pretty emotional moment. I was pretty gutted that my season was going down the drain.
"With the help of my medical team I was able to get back earlier but at that time I wasn't focused on the Wallabies, I was just focused on trying to get a start for the Brumbies."
Hooper made his return in the second row for the Brumbies after his recovery but found himself shuffled to flanker for the last round of the regular season plus the quarter and semi-finals.
That opened up a door that Hooper hadn't previously considered.
"I started at seven in the semi-final and that's when my missus said 'You might be a chance for the Wallabies if you can cover the second row, six and seven. You've added another string to your bow so you might be a chance'," he said.
"It didn't read much into it. I thought she was just trying to be nice but she must have known something.
"I was so shocked. I'm so grateful. It's a nice reward for all the hard work, but the hard work was being channelled in a different direction, so it's hard to believe where I am."
Hooper said he's been blown away by the support his received from friends, family and even his old teachers ever since he made his Wallabies debut.
"Bathurst holds a really big place in my heart. All of my mates back home were so supportive when I made the team, and without my transition through Stannies and the Central West I wouldn't be where I am today," he said.
"I think back to some of the great coaches that I've had from there over the years, and I still get messages from teachers congratulating me. I don't think people realise how even a little part that they've played has been key in getting me to where I am today.
"It means so much, especially from those back home, because they all knew I was a chubby little 130 kilo kid so they know the hard work that I've done."
Hooper isn't the only family member sporting the Australian gold at the moment.
His younger brother, Lachlan, was a part of the Junior Wallabies side that took part in the recent World Rugby U20 Championship in South Africa.
It was by fortunate co-incidence that the older sibling was selected to make his Wallabies debut against the Springboks on July 9 while the under 20s tournament was taking place.
Even though the debut didn't come with the result that Hooper wanted - a 43-12 defeat - it was still a moment he'll look back on very fondly.
"The debut was a pretty special lead up because my parents were over there watching my little brother play. That was really special having them there," Hooper said.
"It probably wasn't the fairytale start that I would have wanted. I obviously copped an injury which put me out for the Argentina game but I was lucky enough to be picked in both of the Bledisloe Cup games, which was an unreal experience.
"I grew up watching Bledisloe Cup so to be a part of it and go so close to winning that last game and match it with one of the best teams in the world was a really good experience."
The Wallabies scored early in their opening Bledisloe Cup game at the MCG on July 29 before being run off the park by the All Blacks in a 38-7 result.
Wallabies appeared to be turning a new leaf in the Dunedin test when Hooper scored a strong try on the left wing to put the Aussies up 14-0.
Unfortunately for the visitors the All Blacks recovered from a 17-3 half-time deficit to win 23-20.
Hooper's try was just one highlight among a stellar outing for the flanker, who finished with an equal game-high effort of 19 tackles.
While it was a great effort on an individual level for Hooper the result makes it seven straight defeats for the Wallabies against their rivals from across the ditch.
That's not a record that breeds much confidence ahead of the World Cup but Hooper said there were glimpses in those two most recent games that the Wallabies are a team capable of great things.
"We're not where we need to be. We haven't won a game yet, which is not a good indicator for any team, but we're taking a lot of steps in the right direction," he said.
"Our attack was really firing and our defence was a lot better. We just need to put together an 80 minute performance. We've got one match to get through before we get to the World Cup and from there we need to keep building into the group games."
The Wallabies have a warm-up clash against World Cup hosts France on August 28 before the tournament gets underway for them on September 9 against Georgia.
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