Rugby:Australia's Quade Cooper finally received a standing ovation at the rugby World Cup but it was sympathetic applause that rang out as he limped off the pitch injured in the Wallabies' third-place playoff against Wales.
The immediate fear was the New Zealand-born flyhalf had damaged his anterior cruciate ligaments which would leave him sidelined for up to six months and he was already on crutches when he picked up his bronze medal after Australia's 21-18 victory over the Welsh.
"We haven't had any medical opinion on it yet but having had suffered it myself and witnessed the incident, I suspect it's a ruptured ACL," said Australia coach Robbie Deans.
"Quade was okay, he's aware of a significant injury but with technology these days he'll be back and good to go. These days you end up with an even stronger ACL after surgery."
Lauded for his role in Queensland Reds triumphant Super rugby campaign, and then Australia's first successful Tri-Nations campaign for a decade, Cooper was expected to be one of the standout players of the tournament and central to the Wallabies' hopes of spoiling the hosts' World Cup party.
The 23-year-old Maori, born and raised in Tokoroa in New Zealand's North Island, was quickly dubbed "public enemy number one" by local media and boos rang out whenever he touched the ball.
Whether that unsettled him or not, he had an uninspiring campaign culminating in a error-ridden display as the Wallabies were overpowered by the All Blacks in the semi-finals last week.
In a non-World Cup year he might have been expected to have been on the shortlist for World Player of the Year but nobody was surprised when his name was absent when the six nominees were announced this week.
Australia were attacking close to the Wales line in the 21st minute when Cooper tried to step off his right foot and his knee just gave away, leaving him crumpled in agony on the Eden Park grass.
Fullback Kurtley Beale, Cooper's halfback partner Will Genia, and his captain at provincial and test level James Horwill also all ended up hobbling off the pitch as Australia secured third place and a first win at Eden Park since 1986.
"Bad luck with Quadey, he'll have to get some scans, hopefully it's not too bad but it doesn't look good at the moment," said Berrick Barnes, who moved to outhalf after Cooper's injury and won the man of the match award.
"Stoked for the boys, we did it tough there, sort of last man standing there at the end."
