Wallabies captain Hooper ready for battle in quarter-final showdown

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SHOWS: OITA JAPAN (OCTOBER 19, 2019) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)

1. (SOUNDBITE) (English) AUSTRALIAN WORLD CUP CAPTAIN, MICHAEL HOOPER, SAYING:

"It's important to understand, it's been something we've looked into, what starting well actually looks like. I've started to get the belief that starting you well is preparing you well for the back end of the game, when it opens up a bit. Starting well is sticking to your principles early. Not getting flustered by things that are happening. Not getting flustered by the score board. Because you don't win the game at half time. Yeah, we want to start well. What's it actually look like? It looks like sticking to our processes and playing the game that we set out to play. And, being confident with whatever comes at us throughout that period. That's starting well in my opinion."

STORY: Australia are keen to make a good start against in England in the Rugby World Cup quarter-finals, but only because it would give them a strong foundation to finish off the game well, captain Michael Hooper said on Friday (October 18).

A large part of the reason the Wallabies are facing the English this weekend is that Wales raced away to a 23-8 halftime lead in the crunch match that effectively decided the winners of Pool D.

Australia fought back to within one point in the second half but the Welsh held on to win 29-25 and now face France on Sunday at the same Oita Stadium where the Wallabies take on England on Saturday.

Hooper said the Australians had talked about "what starting well actually looks like" and he had come to the conclusion that it does not necessarily mean getting a torrent of points on the board in the first half an hour.

Hooper will link up with David Pocock against England duo Tom Curry and Sam Underhill in an intriguing back row battle featuring four openside flankers.