Wallabies fly-half Quade Cooper has revealed there is still no clear timeline for his return to the field five months after he ruptured his Achilles against Argentina in August.
Undertaking rehab at the Queensland Academy of Sport, Cooper has been training alongside fellow Wallabies star Samu Kerevi [ACL] as they both look to recover from serious lower limb injuries ahead of the 2023 World Cup in September.
With no timeline to report, Cooper revealed his progress has been smooth to date with no setbacks on his return with hopes he'll return to running in coming weeks and potentially game time with Japanese club Hanazono Kintetsu Liners before their season finishes in May.
"I honestly can't say [when I'll return] and that's not me trying to sort of play hide and go seek or anything like that," Cooper told media on Thursday from Wallabies camp on the Gold Coast. "It's just that I genuinely don't know.
"Ideally, I'd be playing some football in Japan for my club Kintetsu Liners and that would be the best possible outcome. Then, if I'm able to do that, then I'll be in a place to be able to be selected for the TRC [The Rugby Championship] based on my performances there, but outside of that, it's all out of my hands.
"My focus has been on the enjoyment that I'm getting out of each day each week, having improvements throughout my rehab process, but also just being able to train around other athletes at the QAS.
"Hopefully I'll be back for my club, but if not, it just gives me more time to be able to prepare and continue to get better.
"[It's been a] smooth journey so far, there's been no setbacks and everything's on track, so hopefully I'll get into running over the next couple of weeks and then from there everything progresses."
A mental process as much as a physical one, Cooper said his current injury has been one of the easiest he has suffered, despite relying on crutches and a knee scooter for three months and the fact his age could play a crucial role in how well he returns to the field. At 34-years-old the injury could have a significant impact on his playing ability, but according to Cooper he has no doubts about his comeback.
"This type of injury, in my opinion, has been one of the easiest I've had throughout my career, it's just the time thing.
"I have no doubts about a comeback to some type of football or whatever that may be, but for me the process of this whole journey has been more so about my discipline and the habits that I choose to work on as a person and those things are everyday things. The better I am, the more disciplined I am around who I am and how I am, the better that the outcome will be with this injury.
"I'm not at all worried about coming back from it or how well I'll play, I'm just enjoying the journey so far. I've been very fortunate to be able to be here in Australia, be around my family and my support network throughout this process."
Watching the Wallabies Spring Tour from afar, which saw the side secure two wins and three losses -- including a historic defeat to Italy -- Cooper believes there was plenty of positives to come out of the tour, including the opportunities given to young players.
"There were some great things that came out of that tour," Cooper said. "Seeing some young guys that haven't had a lot of opportunity get opportunities and a lot of those guys stepped up.
"In preparation for a World Cup, you want to be able to see as many players as you can play and obviously the goal is to win those games, but experience is one of those things that the only way you get that is by allowing people the opportunity."
Meanwhile, Wallabies prop Angus Bell has made a full recovery from a toe injury that saw him miss the Wallabies end of year tour last year.
Undergoing surgery in October the 22-year-old was out of a cast and back to training with the Waratahs in November - his first pre-season with the Waratahs in several years. Progressing nicely, Bell confirmed he'll be back for Round 1 of Super Rugby Pacific in February.