Liam Wright says lessons learnt from disastrous World Cup will help new-look Wallabies be better

The 89th captain of the Wallabies has endured some dark times much like the national team and has declared he’ll give his all to turn things around.

Australian Wallabies captain Liam Wright says the dark days of the World Cup will hold the team in good stead. Picture: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

The Wallabies may look nothing like the team that was smashed by Wales as part of a World Cup horror show in France last year, but the new captain is adamant the new-look outfit has taken solid lessons from one of the sport’s darkest days.

Liam Wright spent four years watching from afar as injuries cruelled his own attempts to don the gold jersey again having “got a taste” of Test rugby before he said he was fully ready.

Everything he has endured since then, including shoulder and ankle injuries as well as seeing the national team plunge to some of its worst results under former coach Eddie Jones, has shaped the 89th skipper’s view of what’s needed now.

Wright, who played the most recent of his five Tests in 2020, said the squad assembled by new coach Joe Schmidt, the man who appointed him a surprise captain, watched the demoralising 40-6 loss to Wales that sent the Wallabies crashing out of last year’s World Cup ahead of Saturday’s rematch in Sydney.

He said that match, and the entire diabolical campaign, couldn’t be “swept under the carpet” and could form a basis of what not to do as the Wallabies begin their rebuild under a new captain and coach.

“That’s one of the things I’ve been really impressed with,” Wright said at Friday’s captain’s run at Allianz Stadium.

“There’s been lots of talk about the World Cup … it hasn’t just been swept under the carpet.

New Wallabies captain Liam Wright was surprised by his appointment. Picture: Chris Hyde/Getty Images for ARU

“It’s been a lot of learnings. We’ve showed a lot of clips from that game; areas that we could have capitalised on but didn’t and areas that they capitalised on that we need to be wary of.

“But the boys have really taken it upon themselves not to just hide away, shy from the fact, but to actually learn from it, grow themselves.

“Not only as players but as people because it was a challenging time.”

Wright conceded he was “fully surprised” by his appointment, made when the team was announced to the entire group.

It proved an emotional moment given how long he’d spent away from the Wallabies squad, with belief he could get back never wavering.

“My last time in the squad was three and a bit years ago so having to watch from afar and especially when my body wasn’t able to do the job was tough,” he said.

“But I think that’s built me more into the man I am today.

“I feel a lot more ready now in the squad than I probably did four years ago and I think I can add a lot more to the team and that’s all I’m going to do.

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“I think I am proud of the resilience I’ve shown and fighting my way back here. And I think there was always a belief in the back of my mind that if I could get my body right, play a full season, play consistently, I think that’s what I pride my game on, then I could find my way back into the squad.

“Joe didn’t give me any little heads up or anything like that (about the captaincy) and I think that’s the way he likes to play a bit.

“But it was a massive honour, a really special moment, not only to be back in Wallaby gold but to be able to lead the boys, it’s just been an awesome week.”

Despite being smashed last time they met, the Wallabies are favourites to beat the 10th-ranked Welsh side who haven’t won a Test in Australia since 1969.

Originally published as Liam Wright says lessons learnt from disastrous World Cup will help new-look Wallabies be better