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Super struggles not Wallaby woes: Hooper

Wallabies vice-captain Michael Hooper says the poor form of Australia's Super Rugby sides won't rub off on the national team.

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Source: AAP


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Vice-captain Michael Hooper insists Australia's Super Rugby struggles won't affect the national team during next month's Tests against Fiji, Scotland at Italy.

Australia's five Super Rugby franchises have all endured miserable seasons while there is a pall over the Australian conference with either the Western Force or Melbourne Rebels to be closed down at the end of the year.

Embarrassingly for the Australian Rugby Union, New Zealand teams are on track to complete a 25-0 clean sweep of their Australian counterparts this year having already racked up 17 trans-Tasman wins.

It doesn't bode well for the Bledisloe Cup or next month's Test campaign, which begins in Melbourne on June 3 against Fiji, but Hooper said the Wallabies would have no trouble blocking out their dire domestic form on the international stage.

"It's actually a lot easier than you think," Hooper said on Monday.

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"There's new people to bounce ideas off.

"It's a fresh environment, fresh faces. It's a quick turnaround from Super Rugby into international stuff.

"The ability to separate those (Super Rugby and Tests) is something the Wallabies have always been good at and it's something that the coaching staff will definitely look into."

Australia will tackle Scotland in Sydney on June 17 then Italy in Brisbane the following weekend, with all matches to be played in the afternoon.

With the Wallabies likely to be favourites to win all three matches, Hooper sees it as an opportunity to bring back a positive vibe to Australian rugby.

"The Wallaby brand is so strong. It's such a recognisable jersey," he said.

"For me it's the best thing in Australian rugby so I'm super excited to see those Tests come back around and play those afternoon games.

"It's a bit of a throwback to maybe what it was like years and years ago."

Hooper said the Wallabies were still hurting from their 3-0 series whitewash against Eddie Jones' England last June and must take full advantage of being at home this time around.

"It was really tough to take, to lose at home. It really hits the jersey and hits the playing group hard," he said.


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