In the end, Quade Cooper showed Robbie Deans exactly why he should be picked for the Wallabies against the British and Irish Lions in Queensland’s 33-20 Super Rugby win over the Melbourne Rebels – and perhaps why he should not.
In one of his last auditions before the Wallabies squad is completed, Cooper was at his enigmatic best, lining up against Deans’ first-choice No.10 James O’Connor, as the Reds kept alive their finals hopes with a gutsy victory at Suncorp Stadium on Saturday night.
And Deans will also be sweating on his No.8 options ahead of the Lions series after Rebels captain Scott Higginbotham left with a shoulder injury in the 50th minute.
Instead of impressing Deans, Cooper at first would have had the Wallabies mentor scratching his head.
Cooper showed plenty of attacking intent but twice gifted Melbourne tries when his kicks were charged down in the first half just metres off his own line.
And Cooper’s erratic boot ensured he hooked a crucial penalty and equally important conversion kicks to the left in the second half.
But just as Deans looked to justify his snubbing of Cooper in his initial 25-strong Wallabies squad for the Lions series, the Reds No.10 produced what only the Reds No.10 can produce.
Cooper finally shook off his kicking yips to give Queensland a 21-20 lead with a 65th-minute penalty.
And four minutes later, Cooper somehow burrowed under rival defenders and extended his arm to score an unlikely try.
Despite being jetlagged after an ill-fated trip to South Africa, Queensland suddenly led 28-20 despite trailing 17-13 at halftime and 20-13 after 44 minutes.
A try on fulltime to Ben Lucas off a sublime Will Genia pass blew out the fulltime margin.
Cooper gets his final chance to earn one of the final six spots in the Wallabies squad when the Reds host the Lions at Suncorp Stadium on June 8.
Queensland arrived at Suncorp reeling from a disappointing tour of South Africa which finished with just one bonus point and one try scored in two matches.
In contrast, Melbourne were seeking a club-record third-straight win and a breakthrough maiden victory over Queensland.
