Tom Hooper returns to France, a setting that evokes bittersweet memories after his participation in the 2023 Rugby World Cup with the Wallabies.
In that tournament, under the direction of Eddie Jones, Australia experienced a disappointing performance, being eliminated in the group stage for the first time in its history.
Two years later, the Wallabies face a similar situation, marked by adverse results.
After falling to England, Italy and Ireland, the team seeks to redeem itself with a victory against France in Paris on Sunday.
A new defeat would mean a record of 10 defeats in a calendar year and their first winless European tour in four matches in 67 years.
Hooper says the atmosphere in the Wallabies camp is different under coach Joe Schmidt, who has received criticism for the team’s current performance.
The player was part of the Australian team that suffered a humiliating defeat against Wales by 40-6 in Lyon, which practically sealed their elimination from the World Cup.
Wallabies players react to their defeat against Italy in Udine, November 8, 2025
“In 2023, after the defeat against Wales, we didn’t put up a fight,” commented Hooper from Paris.
Tom Hooper“The progress we’ve made since then has been amazing. I know that for the Australian fans, it seems like we’re down. Mentally we are, but physically and in terms of our belief and our mindset towards where we can take this team and where we are going to take this team, it has never been so strong. And the main driver of that has been Joe Schmidt”.
Tom HooperHooper highlighted Schmidt’s tireless effort to help the team overcome its slump.“He doesn’t really sleep, he’s always working for us, so when it comes to team meetings, the message is clear,” Hooper said of Schmidt, who will leave the post in mid-2026.
Tom HooperSchmidt’s decisions and game plan have also been the subject of criticism, but Hooper emphasized that it is up to the players to better execute their skills, especially in the aerial game and in the kicking game, which showed weaknesses in the 46-19 defeat to Ireland, where they conceded six tries. “We completely believe in what Joe is building here, and we have all completely bought into that program and the system that he has,” said Hooper, one of Australia’s most outstanding players during the year.“He still believes in us, which is amazing from a head coach. Immediately after in that locker room on the weekend, he got us all on our feet, shook us up, connected us as a group, and gave us a clear message, and that is that he still believes in us. We have to believe in what we are doing and, as Joe said, these results haven’t gone as we wanted, but they are going to make us better”.
Tom Hooper“Over the weekend, there were a couple of times when their system and their program would have worked, but we simply didn’t execute as players. So we fully believe in their ability and the ability of the entire coaching staff, the way they are preparing us has been wonderful. Ultimately, it just depends on us to make sure we take the tools they’ve given us throughout the week, be calm, serene, and then perform on the weekend.”
Tom Hooper
