Will Skelton hasn’t given up hope of a 2019 Rugby World Cup spot despite Saracens move

WILL Skelton is determined to leave Australian rugby on a winning note after signing with Saracens. But he admits he’ll have to lift his form after two struggling seasons.

Skelton is determined to leave Australia on a high note.

WILL Skelton says he is determined to use a looming departure date to improve his substandard form and leave Australian rugby on a winning note.

Skelton revealed his plan on Wednesday after news emerged the giant NSW lock had signed a two-season deal with champion English club Saracens.

The 18-Test Wallaby forward will finish with Saracens midway through 2019, and though it’ll make it tough for Skelton to make Michael Cheika’s 2019 Rugby World Cup squad a few months later, the 24-year-old hasn’t given up all hope.

“I wouldn’t have wanted to do anything longer (contractually), with the World Cup just around the corner,” Skelton said.

Skelton’s departure is another blow for Australian rugby but comes after the ARU were forced to dig deep to fend off huge French offers and re-sign fellow Test locks Adam Coleman, Rory Arnold and Sam Carter in recent months.

Skelton is determined to leave Australia on a high note.

In an unusual twist, too, Saracens pursued Skelton vigorously after the 24-year-old gave an ARU-endorsed audition during a 10 week stint at the club over summer.

The aim was for Skelton to get match fit and hit the Super Rugby season running but Saracens loved his strike power so much they offered him a permanent spot.

Skelton said the decision to leave NSW and Australia was a difficult one but it was driven primarily by the opportunity for he and wife Kate to live overseas.

“We will get out of our comfort zone and go over there and try something new,” Skelton told NewsCorp.

“That was a massive factor in our decision to go. I had a good conversation with Cheik about it and he was obviously disappointed but I guess for me it was a personal choice. My wife and I have reached a decision that this was the best time for us to go, and experience life on the other side of the world for a few years.”

Waratahs coach Daryl Gibson said there were no regrets about allowing Skelton to play for Saracens but the 140kg lock said the experience had made the decision to leave less daunting.

“It definitely helped, being there for a short time,” he said.

“I guess when players do go overseas and they don’t know the club or the set-up or the players, it would be a lot harder, that transition. “But to do that two and a half months, we enjoyed our time there and I learned a lot. It was a pretty easy decision to go back to Sarries.”

There are precedents of players making a late run into Wallabies’ World Cup squads; Dan Vickerman did it in 2011 and Dean Mumm did after leaving Worcester midway through 2015.

Skelton said he would wait and see what unfolded in 2019 but he definitely aspires to follow in Mumm’s footsteps and use an English stint to grow as a player.

Skelton is hopeful of pulling on Wallaby gold at the 2019 World Cup. Picture: Brett Costello

“I thought Mummy was an awesome player when he was here and he went to the next level after his stint there, so hopefully I can follow in his footsteps and really develop as a player and to continue that growth,” he said.

Gibson and Waratahs no. 10 Bernard Foley both expressed their disappointment and challenged Skelton to use the rest of the year to leave a powerful “legacy” at the Tahs.

Skelton said he was determined to play his best-ever season but conceded he’d need to urgently lift his game.

“I feel I haven’t been performing for my team. Last year I felt I didn’t and this year I have had a slow start, so I really need to step up my game. Not only for my team but for myself,” Skelton said.

“The Waratahs, we’re hurting, we haven’t been winning this year. I have a lot more to give and I haven’t been giving it this year. That’s a given.”

Originally published as Will Skelton hasn’t given up hope of a 2019 Rugby World Cup spot despite Saracens move