The Maori boy who grew up playing rugby and basketball on the streets, courts and backyards of small timber town Tokoroa, is returning home as an arch-villain with the power to continue New Zealand's World Cup pain.

Quade Cooper will not only play that role as the audacious Wallabies playmaker who has the magical skills to bewilder opponents, excite crowds and harness his team.

He is also seen as a niggling scoundrel across the Tasman where he is in equal parts admired and despised after successfully getting under All Blacks' skins.

The adopted Queenslander enters his first World Cup with a reputation in some quarters as a cheap-shot artist due to a long-running battle with All Blacks skipper Richie McCaw.

A knee to McCaw's head in the Tri Nations decider was deemed accidental by the SANZAR judiciary which cleared him to start the tournament against Italy.

But the All Blacks and their fans appeared to feel differently, viewing it as the second time Cooper has treated their favourite son with contempt in 10 months following his "celebratory" in-goal head-shove in Hong Kong.

"Everyone is entitled to their opinion," 23-year-old Cooper said. "I just respect them as a team.

"They are a great team and aren't the No.1 team in the world for no reason and I enjoy every time and every opportunity to play against them."

Cooper has played 28 Tests for Australia but grew up passionately supporting the All Blacks, with Jonah Lomu, Christian Cullen and Carlos Spencer his childhood heroes.

He was distraught when they were bundled out in the 1999 World Cup semi-final by France but by the time Spencer threw "that pass" intercepted by Stirling Mortlock in 2003, he was ready to switch teams.

The 15-year-old had just moved to Brisbane at the time to be in the Queensland representative system, and the Wallabies' semi-final upset cemented his new allegiance.

"That was the moment, I was kind of torn between both (teams)," he says. "Obviously Carlos was my favourite player and I loved watching the All Blacks but at the same time I was living in Australia and my pathway was to hopefully one day play for Australia."

The RWC draw and the form of the world's top-two teams suggest he'll get the chance to play in a dream October 23 final at Eden Park.

Jittery Kiwi fans will be praying Cooper, a noted big-stage performer, doesn't produce his best on the biggest stage of all.

Certainly, Cooper wouldn't be the force if not for scrumbase partner-in-crime Will Genia controlling play, scheming and providing him with pin-point service.

But also the five-eighth doesn't need any help mesmerising defenders in broken play and putting teammates in the clear with bullet-like cut-outs and off-the-wall flick passes alike.

New Zealand's Dan Carter remains the game's best playmaker but Cooper is quickly closing the gap and his game is perfectly suited to a Wallabies outfit that requires width, pace and creativity.

Even Carter's first Test halves partner, Justin Marshall, finds it hard to separate the pair.

"For mine Dan Carter is the best No.10 in the world but at the same time I think Quade Cooper is the most dangerous player in the game," Marshall said.

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