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SYDNEY (AP) — France-based flyhalf Quade Cooper won't play for Australia's sevens team at the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro after being dropped by coach Andy Friend.
Cooper, who has played 58 tests in rugby union since 2008, was left out of the final two IRB World Series 7s tournaments in Paris and London this month — the last auditions for the Aug. 5-21 games.
Friend said in a Rugby Australia statement Thursday that "we just haven't had the opportunity to work with him (Cooper) as much as we would have liked over the past five months."
Although Cooper played in two 7s matches in Las Vegas and Vancouver, his Olympic chances were hampered by a delay in an expected release from his French club Toulon and a lack of playing time.
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