Micheal Hooper

In what will surely be the key fixture in Pool D at the Rugby World Cup, Wales got the better of a strong-finishing Australia 29-25, having led 23-8 at the break.

Tries from Dane Haylett-Petty and Hooper himself set up a tense finish, but the Wallabies could not quite wrestle back control of the match.

Hooper was disappointed but keen to move on quickly, knowing Australia cannot afford to spend too long reflecting on a defeat that likely sends them into the same side of the draw as England and New Zealand.

Rugby Australia unveil the contract extension in Sydney on Friday.

Reported by News Corp to be worth close to $6 million, the contract would make him the highest earner in the Australian game, although the flanker could have commanded more by playing overseas.

Hooper was just the second player in Australian rugby history to take up a five-year deal after ex-rugby league star Lote Tuqiri in 2007.

The new deal will mean the 26-year-old NSW captain will be available to lead Australia at the next two World Cup tournaments in 2019 and 2023, adding to his 82 Tests.

Rugby World magazine released a list of their top 100 current players for 2017, with Hooper and Folau coming in at no. 8 and no. 5, respectively, behind the number one, England's Owen Farrell.

The pair are two of eight Aussies in the list, though just five of those eight played Super Rugby last year.

Flanker David Pocock, at no. 41, will be back in Australia next month after a year's sabbatical, but former Wallabies centre Matt Toomua (60) looks unlikely to play for the Wallabies again, after re-signing with Leicester until 2019.

Three of the Wallabies matchday 23 - Ned Hanigan, Sean McMahon and Curtis Rona - have never played against the All Blacks and close to half the team was not a part of last year’s Sydney debacle.

Though Hooper maintained their focus was incredibly narrow heading into the Test, when asked if he let his thoughts wander to the idea of winning the trophy, he was honest.

“This group's come together this year to do something and what's wrong with a dream? What's wrong with a goal that everyone here wants to achieve?," he said.