Wallabies can dare to dream at Rugby World Cup, 110-capped Wallaby Will Genia says

The Wallabies now not have a golden glow however halfback nice Will Genia believes they’ll nonetheless shine on the Rugby World Cup, saying Australia have extra upside than different contenders.

Pundits have written off Australia’s possibilities of lifting aloft a 3rd William Webb Ellis trophy in France — and with good motive with the crew winless in 5 Checks in 2023.

Changing coach Dave Rennie with Eddie Jones — in his second World Cup as Wallabies coach after reaching the ultimate in 2003 — hasn’t yielded instant outcomes.

Jones has additionally made some shock choices — most notably leaving out long-time skipper Michael Hooper and veteran five-eighth Quade Cooper — to financial institution on a aspect that solely contains eight gamers with World Cup expertise.

However Genia, who performed 110 Wallabies Checks and was a part of three World Cup campaigns, sees positives within the adjustments.

He stated the younger gamers — 20 of the 33-man squad are aged 26 or below — had been fearless, carrying no baggage from years of losses.

The previous Queensland stalwart, now taking part in in Japan, stated he might see loads of progress within the Wallabies, who play Georgia of their first pool sport in Paris on Sunday (AEST).

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“It should be robust however the truth that probably not anybody’s giving them hope might be factor as a result of they’ll fly below the radar and simply give attention to themselves,” Genia advised AAP.

“As a result of in my expertise with World Cups, it appears and it sounds actually easy, but it surely’s the groups that enhance week to week that may do nicely.

“You discover higher cohesion, you get extra assured, you do issues higher, you are extra correct, extra bodily because the event goes on.

Genia likes that Jones has opted for real dimension in his pack and likewise chosen a brand new captain in lock Will Skelton.

The France-based large is a confirmed winner, which has been sadly lacking from Australian Tremendous Rugby gamers with New Zealand dominating that competitors.

“I actually like that large Willy Skelton is the skipper as a result of he is somebody who’s gained all the things there may be to win in European rugby, which you’d say is the very best degree of competitors exterior of Check rugby,” 35-year-old Genia stated.

“And he is not simply being a passenger in these groups, I believe he is gained man of the match in a few the finals that he is performed in so he is a winner.

“He understands what it takes to win, not simply on the sphere however by way of efficiency, by way of tradition, so he’ll lead what Eddie desires to create, by way of a successful mindset or successful tradition.

“And he is additionally only a actually good crew man — he is at all times optimistic, he is very solution-focused and he is not somebody who dwells on issues which might be going fallacious. He seems at find out how to repair it.”

Genia was disenchanted to see his previous halves associate and nice pal Cooper ignored, feeling he would have supplied beneficial safety and help to rookie playmaker Carter Gordon on and off the sphere.

However he stated on the flip-side Jones had eliminated the “security web” and backed Gordon and younger halfback Tate McDermott to make the crew their very own.

“It is about trusting them — with out Quade, Eddie has stated there is no such thing as a security web — that is your crew and also you drive it and that may hopefully speed up Carter’s progress.