Cooper out of Rugby Championship

Australia fly-half Quade Cooper will miss the rest of the Rugby Championship after doctors ruled that he requires knee surgery.

The 24-year-old suffered a knee injury in last year's World Cup third-place play-off victory over Wales but returned to take his place in the Reds and the Wallabies side this year. However, the jury remains out on the mercurial stand-off, who polarises opinion with his style of play and can be superb one day and dreadful the next. It was the latter Cooper who turned up to face Argentina at the weekend and put in one of his worst displays as the Aussies came back from 19-6 down to beat the Pumas 23-19. Cooper made a number of errors in the match and Wallabies coach Robbie Deans admitted afterwards that his display would likely see him dropped for the next match. However, scans have revealed that he chipped a bone in his knee and he will play no further part in the tournament. It is the same knee which was operated on last year but the team medics have made it clear it is not a long-term injury and the New Zealand-born star should be back in time for the European tour in November.