Michael Hooper won’t let the emotions of his final Super Rugby Pacific home game ruin an important finals warm-up match when the NSW Waratahs host Moana Pasifika.
The Wallabies' most-capped captain, Hooper will have the honour of wearing the skipper's arm band when he runs on in the sky blue at Allianz Stadium for the final time on Saturday night before departing the club.
Jake Gordon has handed over the captaincy with the Tahs assured of a sixth-placed finish and a dreaded trip across the Tasman to Auckland to face the Blues in next week's sudden-death quarter-finals.
No Australian team has ever won a Super Rugby finals match in Australia and the Blues' 16-9 win over the Highlanders on Friday night ensured they'd host the Waratahs in Auckland next week as the third-placed finishers.
Regardless, Waratahs back-rower Langi Gleeson said Hooper had been at his motivational best ahead of a NSW swan song
“He's spoken a lot more than he normally does - and he does speak a lot,” Gleeson said with a laugh.
“He's been pretty motivational this week, which is good. As always he's just confident helping the boys, everything's about the team.
“He’s been stone cold.
“He was one of my favourite players growing up ... watching him just killing it for the Wallabies.
“Last year was my first time meeting him and I'm still a bit starstruck even talking to him now.”
Moana, struggling this year with an 0-13 record, will be motivated themselves, looking to ensure they don’t finish the campaign with a winless return.
Gleeson, who has signed an extension with Rugby Australia and the Waratahs through to 2025, will come off the bench, but it’s an impressive lineup for NSW as they look to regain winning touch.
They didn’t have the class to go with the damaging Crusaders last weekend, beaten 42-18.
Gleeson noted the importance of hitting finals in good form.
“Ever since pre-season we've been talking about finals but at the moment we like to take things week by week,” he said.
“So this week, we want to put in a good performance and have a good lead up to finals by beating Moana this week.
“I feel like it'll be the same as the Drua - big contact, big running, big ball-runners.
“We've just got to level the intensity and just play our own footy. It'll be a really good game to watch for the fans.”
