Junior Wallaby Will Harrison has hailed Stephen Larkham's influence on the next generation of Australian playmakers.
In his new position as national high performance coach advisor, Larkham has worked closely with players ahead of the Oceania U20 championships on the Gold Coast this week.
Harrison, the leading candidate to lock down the starting flyhalf spot for the world U20 championships in Argentina in June, has acted like a sponge around the 102-Test veteran, eager to gain tips to take his game to the next level.
" 'Bernie' has been awesome for me," Harrison said.
"I've had a lot of one-on-one time and for a player of his (calibre) and what he's done in rugby, I think it's amazing.
"He's done a lot with me on my kicking, my passing, my running and he's trying to build that triple threat game."
A former Australian Schoolboys captain, Harrison is part of the wider Waratahs squad and has long been identified as one of the country's top young rugby talents.
But he has no sense of entitlement when it comes to working with Larkham, believing he is lucky to be working with one of the game's greats.
"It just shows what a good person he is on and off the field," Harrison said.
"Giving back to boys coming up like myself, I just can't thank him enough.
"I don't think many other 20s squads would have a 100-cap flyhalf come in and help out, so it just shows what a character he is and we need more of them, so I'm definitely looking up to him when I go into the game, for sure."
Larkham has been seen in some quarters as a scapegoat for the Wallabies' poor form last year.
After being axed at the team's attack coach because of what head coach Michael Cheika saw as "differences in attacking strategy and overall game philosophy", Larkham could easily have been lost to the game in Australia.
But his work with the Junior Wallabies and the one-on-one time he is spending with the next generation of playmakers could prove a masterstroke."He's been excellent," Junior Wallabies head coach Jason Gilmore said.
"He's obviously got great experience as a player at these types of tournaments, won a World cup himself and has been coaching at the highest level.
"He's a very composed man, assesses information very nicely and he's been a really good sounding board for all the staff."
Harrison has a virtual smorgasbord of coaching support available to him though and he's using every bit of it to make himself the best player he can ahead of the U20 world championships.
Back at the Tahs, we've got Gibbo (head coach Darryl Gibson), Whits (backs coach Chris Whitaker) and of course, Simon Cron helping me on my all around game.
"And 'Nard has been helping me out massively and is always offering me a helping hand," he said of Wallabies flyhalf Bernard Foley.
Harrison's poise in the Junior Wallabies' opening game against Japan earnt praise from Gilmore, who knows how keen he is to earn a starting journey for the world championships."I thought he controlled the game really well," Gilmore said of the Japan match.
"Especially after last year, coming off the bench (at the world championships), he's really keen to step up and make that no.10 his own in Argentina."
Harrison was injected into Australia's clash against Fiji at halftime in their Oceania U20 clash on Tuesday night and immediately made an impact after a scratchy first half from the youngsters.
And he is keen to show the improvements in his game if he is, as expected, named to start in the final Oceania match against New Zealand at Bond University on Saturday.
"Probably in the last year, just being in the 20s and coming in from the Waratahs set-up, just my game management has really stepped up a little bit," he said of the gains he has made.
"And not being a one dimensional player, having that triple threat and trying to work on that run-kick-pass game, so a lot of improvement."
The Junior Wallabies take on New Zealand in the Oceania U20 championship decided at Bond University on the Gold Coast on Saturday, May 4, kicking off at 7pm after Japan and Fiji play from 5pm. All games streamed LIVE on RUGBY.com.au.
