Will Skelton believes the Wallabies have a golden chance to restore their reputation, and he’s eager to start that journey with a statement performance against England this Saturday.
Returning to the Wallabies setup for the Autumn Nations Series, the powerhouse La Rochelle lock had been sidelined for much of Australia’s recent campaigns, missing both the Rugby Championship and their July victories against Wales.
His last taste of international rugby was the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France, where he was handed the captaincy only to be cruelly sidelined by injury after just one game, watching helplessly as Australia’s hopes dissolved in the pool stage.
That collapse eventually spelled the end of Eddie Jones’ tenure, and now, under new coach Joe Schmidt, Skelton is ready to make amends.
Reflecting on the past year’s struggles, Skelton admits the Wallabies’ World Cup exit still stings deeply.
“It was tough to take,” he said. “Especially as captain.
“When you’re not involved and you’re watching on TV, you always have that itch, and you want to help as much as you can.”
Skelton has kept close communication with Schmidt, determined to be part of a Wallabies revival.
“We haven’t had the results we wanted, but I feel the team’s building in the right direction, and I’m happy to add where I can.”
Australia’s ninth place in the World Rugby rankings doesn’t sit well with the big lock, but he remains confident that the Wallabies are on the cusp of turning things around.
“I look at it as an awesome opportunity,” he said. “We can really push up in the rankings and win every game that we can.”
Skelton is equally energized by what he’s seen in camp under Schmidt’s leadership.
“We have a world-class coaching team,” he said. “That’s really filtering down to every player in the squad, so I have no doubt that this team is going to get where we want to get to. And that starts with our preparation and ultimately getting wins on the board.”
As for Saturday’s showdown at Twickenham, Skelton knows England are vulnerable in the set piece, an area the Wallabies are eyeing with intent. After eight years without a win on England’s home turf, he’s fully aware of the stakes.
“We’re seeing it as a massive opportunity to try and break that drought,” he said. “It’s an opportunity to play against 83-84 thousand people with our backs against the wall and it’s only us in that circle.”
Photo: Chris Hyde/Getty Images
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Src: sarugbymag.co.za
