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Cooper will need to improve on his patchy effort against the Waratahs. Source:Getty Images
QUADE Cooper has been thrown a playoff duel against Kiwi kingpin Dan Carter that will be an all-instincts gauge of his readiness for a pressured Bledisloe Cup rematch.
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Reds playmaker Cooper insisted there was no chance he would be distracted by the Carter head-to-head when this Saturday night's sudden-death final in Christchurch had to be won.
Playing a Crusaders side laced with up to a dozen All Blacks on hostile turf in a Super Rugby playoff is the best examination possible for Cooper's game with so much riding on his steadiness, his decisions and his risk-taking.
It is also exactly what the rugby public need to witness to work out how wholeheartedly they will trust the fly half to steer the Wallabies against the All Blacks in Sydney on August 17.
"The Crusaders have a lot of All Blacks and put pressure on like the All Blacks but no way am I looking at this as a rehearsal for anything," Cooper said.
"I don't let my mind wander to down the track.
"This is solely about the Reds, going to Christchurch to beat them and our whole campaign which is built around winning the Super Rugby final."
Cooper admitted the Reds would have to find "a 20 per cent improvement'' on their 14-12 display to beat the NSW Waratahs for a fifth consecutive time on Saturday night in Sydney.
"After a month since our last game, it felt like a trial match at the end of preseason in some ways with guys coming back from different teams, the break and working on combos again," Cooper said.
"There was a lot of blowing off rust and ticking over kilometres in the legs so even though it was scrappy, it was a very good hit-out to get back a rhythm and build for a playoff."
No team has won more often over the Crusaders than the Reds (three times) over the past four seasons and that is a tangible weapon for the Queenslanders.
"The Crusaders are an excellent team but we are not frightened of playing our natural game against them, which is very important," Cooper said.
"To scramble in defence and stick with teams really shows our attitude. Like against NSW, we have been able to come out on the right side of tight results even without always playing our best footy."
Cooper has just two Test wins over Carter-led All Blacks sides to show for plenty of trying moments between 2010-12, but is 3-0 for his last three starts when up against Carter and the Crusaders.
"Dan Carter is a class act. He wins games by doing the things he does very well without trying to be too flashy," Cooper warned.
"Whenever he is in a Crusaders team, they pick up a gear purely because of the mindset and confidence he creates. We know how tough that makes them this weekend."
No Queensland side has won in Christchurch since 1999, which is history that Cooper welcomes rather than shies away from.
"Nothing good comes easy, as they say. There's a lot of history there and it would be great to rectify that record," Cooper said.
"It has been motivation all through these last few seasons to knock off teams we have never beaten or win at stadiums where we haven't won.
"I doubt there will be much love for the Reds in Christchurch but it will be a packed house and all the boys want to get that win for the Reds."
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