Wallabies coach Eddie Jones has empowered his young squad to take on the world as they head to France for the Rugby World Cup.
Jones will take over 25 players to their first Rugby World Cup in a sign of a changing of the guard.
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“I think it’s just a great image for Australian Rugby that the young team’s ready to take on the world," he told reporters on Thursday.
“I enjoy when people say you can’t do it and I think the team is getting a real taste of it. Yesterday was the best training I’ve seen and that’s on the back of four hard days in Darwin and overnight in Arnhem Land sleeping on sand and the boys are ready to go.
“We’re ready to show the world what we can do.”
This was typified by appointing Will Skelton as captain, impressed with how he has taken on the role
“Really impressed, obviously a man to look up to in all terms," Jones remarked.
“He's had a huge winning record in Europe and he's brought a level of togetherness to the squad we and I haven't seen (in a while).
“It's a promising start but it’s just a start.”
Jones signalled out the back row for praise, with Rob Leota (26), Fraser McReight (24), Rob Valetini (24), Tom Hooper (22) and Langi Gleeson (22) included in the 33-player squad.
“I think we're gonna have a mighty back row," he said.
“I think young ‘Hoops’ has progressed really nicely over the period of time. If you look at the first test against South Africa, he was struggling to make a tackle and by the end of the Rugby Championships, he made 20 tackles, carried over the top of All Blacks forwards and that's the progression this team is going to make.”
Hooper shared the love, praising Jones and his approach to coaching.
"He's a great motivator. He pumped me up to the media, but don't worry, he's very hard on me behind closed doors as well but that's how I like to be coached," he told Rugby.com.au
"I really like someone who calls a spade a spade and that's what he does for me. Every training session he has got something for me to work on...I want to be the best in the world one day and the only way I'm gonna do that is by having a coach like that who's going to be tough on me and make sure that I'm achieving my best.
"When I do perform well, he's the first one to shake my hand so that is exactly what I want from a coach: someone who's tough but also rewards you once you get done the hard work."
