ntnews.com.au lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll SPORT Toomua primed to sit his final test By JAMIE PANDARAM MATT Toomua is deter- mined to prove he can step up in big games during the Super Rugby finals as the race for the Wallabies No. 10 jersey enters the final bend. While all eyes will be Quade Cooper’s battle against Dan Carter in to- night’s qualifying final be- tween the Reds and Cru- saders, Toomua will take giant strides towards the national should he engineer victory for the Brumbies. ‘‘Its a big game, and you look to big-game players,’’ Toomua said of the Brumbies finals match against the Cheetahs in Can- berra tomorrow. ‘‘You want to perform in the big games, and from a personal satisfaction point of view I want to prove to myself and others that I can perform on a big stage. ‘‘Any player who would say they haven’t had a think about the Wallabies would be lying. Reds playmaker Quade Cooper is sure to be a marked man in tonight’s playoff clash against the Crusaders Picture: GETTY IMAGES ‘‘But in saying that, were still playing at the moment and I’ve been a part of the Brumbies for six years, so for me it’s exciting to be playing in the finals.’’ Brumbies backline coach Crusaders on Red alert Stephen Larkham said Toomua should have started for the Wallabies against the RUGBY UNION against the Crusaders is mag- each camp tonight are likely ‘‘Quadie learnt from it, he McCaw coming off the Lions. The 23-year-old was By JIM TUCKER netic. Playmaker Cooper and to be playing for the Bledisloe absorbed it and he’s better for bench to rattle Cooper is a not considered by Robbie sidekick Will Genia Cup next month, so this is as it,’’ Genia said. ‘‘He’s a good sizeable shadow when it Deans but under new boss QUADE Cooper’s new ma- orchestrating an upset would close to a Test examination as guy and tough, tougher than comes in a 116-Test package. Ewen McKenzie all things turity will be put under the fire a shot across the bows of Cooper is going to get. people give him credit for. Coach McKenzie said the are possible. blowtorch tonight in a Christ- the Kiwis that will reverber- Halfback Genia is con- ‘‘Maturity is the word. crowd and McCaw factors McKenzie is expected to church snakepit where nem- ate all the way until kick-off vinced Cooper has found a That’s the thing that has had been overblown. favour Cooper for the open- esis Richie McCaw is waiting to the Bledisloe Cup Test in tougher, more resilient core really impressed me.’’ ‘‘We’ve played in Dunedin ing Bledisloe Cup clash but to terrorise him. Sydney on August 17. to stand tall on his biggest The flip side comes from and Hamilton this year and Toomua is certain to be seen The ramifications are im- But if they lose with a stage since the 22-0 Test wipe- former All Black winger Jeff the crowds literally didn’t on the international stage in mense, not just for the hotchpotch of Cooper errors out against the All Blacks in Wilson, who pilloried Cooper say boo to Quade,’’ McKenzie the future. Queensland Reds in the play- against the masters of finals Auckland 11 months ago. as a flaky target who ‘‘doesn’t said. ‘‘Quade will be fully en- Brumbies coach Jake Wh- offs but for Wallabies fans pressure, the dawn of the The backlash from last play well in New Zealand.’’ grossed in putting pressure ite has recalled Clyde Rath- wondering whether they Ewen McKenzie era as Test year’s swipe at ‘‘toxic’’ el- ‘‘The pressure is on Cooper on to take the Crusaders out bone to the starting side for should again buy into Cooper coach next month will seem a ements of the Wallabies setup and Richie McCaw is there of their confidence zone, not the clash, putting Joe To- as a potential saviour. little less radiant. rattled Cooper but it has (on the bench) to terrorise emotional rivalries or what- mane on the bench. The sudden-death playoff At least seven players from made him a wiser footballer. him,’’ Wilson said. not.’’ WIN A FAMILY PASS TO THE ROYAL DARWIN SHOW The NT News and Royal Darwin Show are teaming up to give you the chance to experience one of the best events in the Territory and win one of 20 Family passes valued at $45 each. 2013 Royal Darwin Show, July 25th – 27th Gates open 9am to 10pm each day TO WIN: Visit ntnews.com.au/competitions and enter your details PUB: NTNE-WS-20-J47KGE:MDA-TE: Y-C-CO-LO-R: Competition commences Monday July 15, 2013 and closes midnight Sunday July 21, 2013. Winners will be drawn 10am Monday July 22, 2013 and contacted by phone the same day. One Family pass is valid for two adults and three children under 14 years. For full competition terms & conditions visit ntnews.com.au/competitions. www.ntnews.com.au Saturday, July 20, 2013. NT NEWS. 47.