Rugby: Popular Genia moving towards greatness

Will Genia of the Wallabies. Photo / Getty Images

Will Genia, the Australian public's most popular Wallaby, says he loves pressure and expects to get plenty of it at the coming Rugby World Cup.

Watching the last tournament in 2007, Genia never dreamt his career would advance sufficiently in the span of four years for him to be part of Australia's current squad.

"Never, I remember sitting there watching (Wallabies halfback) George Gregan," Genia told reporters on Friday.

"I think that was my first year playing Super Rugby so I thought I'd still be sitting on the bench right now for the Queensland Reds."

Genia's match-winning exploits for Queensland and Australia this year have earned him plaudits from his peers and the public, including the Australia's Choice award he received in Sydney on Thursday.

A scourge of opposing sides at Super and Test levels this year, Genia said he took being targeted by opposing sides in his stride.

"As a 9 and probably a 10 as well, you are always going to get a lot of pressure put on you. People are going to want you to make tackles and make decisions and I love being under pressure," Genia said.

"I love taking it in my stride and making the right decisions at the right times.

"It's a big tournament, obviously my first World Cup, so it's going to be a lot of pressure, but I just want to play and I'm looking forward to getting out there."

Genia was confident five-eighth Quade Cooper would be able to handle any fire from the All Blacks, following the furore in New Zealand after a foul-play charge against Cooper for kneeing Richie McCaw in the head last Saturday was dismissed.

"He loves it, he loves the challenge, he loves the contest," Genia said of Cooper.

"They can put as much of a target on him as they want, but they've still got to stop him, so we'll just wait and see how it unfolds."

Australia's first World Cup-winning captain and champion halfback Nick Farr-Jones showered Genia with praise earlier in the week, predicting he would ultimately be ranked alongside Ken Catchpole, widely considered Australia's greatest No.9.

"It's obviously very humbling. You don't read too much into it," Genia said.

"You're not going to know how good you are pretty much until you finish.

"For me, my focus is enjoying my footy and I really am at the moment."

Australia begin their World Cup campaign against Italy on September 11.

"They've been a difficult team for Australia the last few years," Genia said.

"We've got to make sure we take in the same focus and determination as we did into that last game of the Tri Nations into this first World Cup game and put in a really good performance and set the tone for the Cup."

- AAP