Wallabies need to go back-to-back: Hooper

Wallabies star Michael Hooper has focused his sights on leading Australia to back-to-back wins before dreaming of completing next month's grand slam in Europe.

Forget the grand slam, let's start with the dream double.

That's the opinion of Wallabies star Michael Hooper, who will be part of a 32-man squad bound for London on Friday to embark on a unique five-Test tour of Europe.

It is the third time the Wallabies will meet England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland on the same tour since an Alan Jones-coached side scooped a quartet of wins in 1984.

While both touring parties failed to complete the slam, teammate Bernard Foley earlier this week bravely predicted the new-look side could repeat the 28-year-old heroics of their predecessors.

But Hooper, who was crowned John Eales medallist for the second time in his career on Thursday night, set his sights a little lower.

"Just winning back-to-back would be nice. The feeling of getting a roll on and everyone doing their job is so satisfying," he said.

"The grand slam will be a product of that. What will be so satisfying is people who've put in a lot of hard work, people who've been given a hard time, get that reward and result they deserve."

The Wallabies will set up base in London before moving onto to Cardiff, where they kickoff a gruelling five-week challenge beginning against Wales on November 5.

That will be followed by games against Scotland, France and Ireland before finishing the tour with a highly-anticipated Test against England at Twickenham on December 3.

"That would be pretty special, rolling into Twickenham with everything to play for," Hooper said.

"To get a win on the board against the Welsh would be nice and keep that roll going, because they're always a hard team to play.

"But back-to-back wins are sweet. You sing that song in the changeroom a couple of weeks in a row and you start to build something special.

"The grand slam term's thrown around a lot... you've got to win back-to-back games to do it.

"That's the focus for us. One win, next win, and go from there. That's what it has to be."


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Source: AAP



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