The 35-year-old is hoping to make a second comeback to the national team after rupturing his Achilles against Argentina last August.
While the playmaker did not want to assume he would receive the nod from coach Eddie Jones when the squad is announced on Sunday, he will relish the opportunity in Pretoria if offered.
“I 100 per cent want to wear the No.10 jersey,” Cooper said on Thursday.
“But I also know that the other boys are in that same mindset. So the respect aspect there is to compete as hard as possible for each jersey, but also support our teammates if they’re selected.
“I just focus on doing what I can to be the best that I can in these camps, and let the powers that be look after those types of decisions.”
Before the injury, Cooper helped manoeuvre the Wallabies to five straight wins that boosted Australia from seventh to third in the world rankings.
In the 10 months since, Cooper has worked with rehabilitation teams and in May helped wooden spoon contenders Hanazono Kintetsu Liners to a much-needed win.
For the veteran star, the rehabilitation process has been “very enjoyable”, giving him much-needed time to tend to the soft-tissue injury while physically and mentally preparing himself for a potential return to the international stage.
“The game, as I said, is the easy part,” said Cooper, modelling the jersey the Wallabies will wear at the France tournament which kicks off in September.
“It’s (the) preparation years before, months and months before, that will set you up to be able to do well at the World Cup.
“The habits that I’ve put in place over the past four or five years will allow me to perform and continue to perform throughout the year.”
