Cooper gets all clear for Wallabies clash

Gareth Cooper has been made available for Wales’ autumn Test series finale against Australia next Saturday.

The Gloucester scrum-half will be on international duty – rather than in Guinness Premiership action – following talks between his club, the Rugby Football Union and Welsh Rugby Union.

Cooper is likely to retain Wales’ number nine shirt against the Wallabies, with Scarlets scrum-half Martin Roberts providing bench cover.

Because the Australia game falls outside the International Rugby Board autumn Test window, players like Cooper and his Wales colleague, Sale Sharks scrum-half Dwayne Peel, were subject to first call from their clubs.

Gloucester host Northampton next weekend, with Sale tackling Leicester on Friday night.

But discussions between WRU group chief executive Roger Lewis, RFU chairman Martyn Thomas and Gloucester chairman Tom Walkinshaw have resulted in Cooper being made available for

Wales.

And it will be a huge boost for Wales boss Warren Gatland, as his team target a winning send-off into this season’s RBS 6 Nations Championship title defence following defeats against South Africa

and New Zealand.