Former Australian international Quade Cooper has tweeted a message of support to Ian Madigan after a Wales Online article described the Irishman as a "£500,000-a-year international forced to play A team rugby because of two talented Welsh youngsters."
Madigan has struggled for first team action with Bristol Bears so far this season due to the emergence of Callum Sheedy and Ioan Lloyd, with Madigan yet to make an appearance in the Gallagher Premiership so far this season. The Wales Online article says "It’s been likened to Wallabies star Quade Cooper’s dramatic fall from grace with the Queensland Reds and subsequent demotion to second grade rugby at Brisbane City."
Likened by whom, we're not sure.
Anyhow Cooper didn't take too kindly to this and tweeted, saying "Fall from grace [laughing face]. Brother [Madigan] hang in there the storm won’t last forever. There’s a reason you were paid that money, rest your body and enjoy it. I know I did."
Fall from grace 😭 🤣
brother hang in there the storm won’t last forever. There’s a reason you were paid that money ✊🏼❤️ rest your body and enjoy it I know I did https://t.co/u6fFOjIvTz— Quade Cooper (@QuadeCooper) December 5, 2019
Madigan's head coach, Pat Lam, still feels he will have a role to play throughout the season, telling the Bristol Post last month:
It is great to have Callum [Sheedy], Ioan [Lloyd] Mads [Ian Madigan], Tiff [Eden] - we are going to need everybody as we go through. It is still early in the season. Guys will get chances but I don’t know when that is going to happen. We just go week to week and that is the way we have been working.
24-year-old Callum Sheedy was born in Wales but qualifies for Ireland through his father and for England through residency. He has also represented all three nations at various levels of his career to date, most recently lining out for an uncapped England XV against the Barbarians. So whether he even ends up playing for Wales remains to be seen.
