Andrew Slack: Genia at heart of everyone's plans

Radike Samo's impact against Zac Guildford and the All Blacks during the Tri-Nations final marks him as one to watch. Photo / AP

Wallabies No 9 critical to team's success, writes Andrew Slack

Every team playing Australia during the World Cup will have one main plan - get Will Genia. Australia will have one main plan in every game during the World Cup - don't let them get Will Genia.

Whether it's been against the Reds or the Wallabies this year, every opposing side has targeted the No 9 - their success has been minimal. Great players become so because they have the intuition, skills and game sense to strike when the time is right. Genia is forever picking that time.

As they proved in their last outing before the World Cup, this Wallaby squad has more to it than first met the eye, some depth in unexpected places and an evolving self-belief. Even with all those things, though, no Genia could well mean no chocolates. Should he stay safe and well, Australia are right in it.

There's not a side among the 20 competing who don't have a hard luck injury story, so complaints about loose head prop Benn Robinson's unavailability should be put in that context. Wallaby supporters, though, have been heartened by the performance of the Australian scrum without Robinson during the Tri-Nations tournament.

Despite his lack of big-time rugby over the past 12 months, Dan Vickerman showed in the win over the All Blacks at Suncorp Stadium that he is the type of hard, old-fashioned, no-nonsense lock any winning team needs. Regardless of whether he ends up as a starting lock - and that's no certainty with both Nathan Sharpe and Rob Simmons having good credentials to join captain James Horwill - he'll be an invaluable member of the squad.

The Wallabies haven't picked a second openside flanker, which means David Pocock is unlikely to have much spare time. That's just the way he likes it, provided he stays fit. The rest of the back row is starting to show a lot of promising options.

Being relieved of the captaincy would have hurt Rocky Elsom, but pain is not always a bad thing and he probably leads best by just having to worry about getting the best out of himself.

When Radike Samo arrived back on the Australian scene last year as an emergency during a Reds injury crisis, he impressed everyone with his energy. His skills, speed and power were well known but at 34, he was clearly going to run out of steam. Well, he's now 35 and people are starting to ponder how good he's likely to be when he's 45.

Scott Higginbotham was probably the most influential backrower in the Australian teams during the Super 15, so to have him hovering around the squad without being able to command a starting spot suggests the Wallabies are looking okay in that area.

Wycliff Palu is back too, and while he's very damaging at his best, the question mark is his lack of footy this year. Palu isn't rowing that boat on his own and that points to the biggest selection risk Robbie Deans has taken. Vickerman, Salesi Ma'afu, James Slipper, Tatafu Polota-Nau, Berrick Barnes, Rob Horne and Drew Mitchell have all missed significant game time. This means they'll be fresh and ready to explode in September/October or they'll be firing up to 100 per cent around January.

Vision-impaired Freddie can see there's plenty of attacking firepower in the backline as well as some defensive starch. Despite the mystery surrounding Matt Giteau's omission, it might only have been in the event of injury that he'd have been required.

So the Wallabies seem to have the forwards to do what's needed and the backs to finish off the business. Most importantly, though, is they keep safe the man that links one lot with the other.