He is not one to use refereeing calls as excuses, but one disallowed try to Marika Koroibete in 2017 still irks Genia. Stephen Moore was ruled to have obstructed retreating defender Chris Robshaw, and a potential seven-point Wallaby lead in the 70th minute somehow blew out to a 24-point loss.
“You’d have to ask the referees around the 50-50s as to whether we don’t get them,” Genia said.
“What I will say is it’s probably one of the best places to play, just because of the history, the crowd, the atmosphere. The one thing I always noticed as a player was when they had momentum, the crowd would really boil up and they fed off the energy. And it makes them a more formidable opponent.
Genia said the Wallabies’ win over England in 2015 was the other side of the same coin; they were the side with the benefit of experience and winning the championship minutes.
But with the current Wallabies still in a post-World Cup rebuild under Joe Schmidt, that experience is now restricted to a far smaller cohort, and those with a taste of victory in finals and big Test matches is tinier still.
One man who has it all – and should unquestioningly be put into the starting side – is Skelton, says Genia. The France-based lock, who is rejoining the Wallabies after staying with his club La Rochelle during the winter, has won multiple European and French titles.
Will Skelton of Australia celebrates winning at Stade de France at the Rugby World Cup.Credit: Getty
“I’m definitely picking him to start, because he just has a bit of aura about him,” Genia said. “From a physicality perspective, he just brings that presence on the field. And he’s been outstanding for La Rochelle the last few years. He’s been playing big minutes in big games, and he’s been a big performer in big games.”
The drums are beating that Suaalii will be thrown in with a bench role against England. Genia said the youngster could handle the pressure.
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“I’d follow the same path as Izzy [Folau] – put him on the wing first, and then I would ultimately put him at fullback,” Genia said. “I get people saying he should play at 13, but I think you limit him too much. He’s a great athlete, and I see so much of Izzy in him.
“There’s so many similarities there that you can see that will hopefully transfer across into how he plays the game. Let’s not forget, mate, Izzy, regardless of everything, is one of the best players we ever played with.”
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