SK JAMESHORWILL for
his fi rst impressions of Will
Genia and he says “small”!
There is an obvious size
diff erential given their positions – lock
and scrum-half – but the three-year age
gap between them would also have
been signifi cant when they fi rst crossed
paths at Brisbane Boys’ College.
Genia grew up in Port Moresby, the
capital of Papua New Guinea where
his father was a government minister,
before attending boarding school in
Australia from the age of 12. Genia says
he was a “chubby kid” and Horwill
discloses that the youngster’s nickname
was ‘Pooh Bear’. Horwill also took great
delight in revealing to his Queensland
Reds team-mates that Genia’s fi rst name
was actually ‘Sanchez’ having spotted it
in his passport on a tour a decade ago.
Returning to those school days,
Frankie Genia was the rugby star back
then, playing alongside Horwill in the
school’s fi rst XV, but it is the younger
brother who has gone on to
represent Australia 100 times,
reaching his century last year.
“When he got to 100 caps,
I said to him, ‘Who’d have
thought little Pooh Bear back
at high school...’” says Horwill
with a smile. “That’s a credit
to his work ethic. He’s a very
diligent professional in the
way he goes about things
and has put a lot of hard
work in to develop his game.”
That conscientious attitude is also
highlighted by Genia’s long-term
half-back partner Quade Cooper. The
pair were key to the Reds’ Super Rugby
win in 2011, alongside Horwill, and have
teamed up again at Melbourne Rebels.
Cooper says: “His work ethic makes him
great but more so his competitive nature.
“When you’re out on the fi eld with him,
in the trenches, he’s the type of guy you
want with you. To have that partnership
makes my job a whole lot easier.
“Myself and Will are two of the most
competitive players, probably in the
world. It’s one of the reasons we work
so well together. We’re always pushing
each other in training and
in games. We want the
best for each other.”
In the early days, it was
the rivalry with his brother
that drove Genia to
improve and he made
remarkable progress,
making his Super Rugby
debut as a teenager
in 2007 and running
out for Australia for
the fi rst time aged 21.“Frankie also played half-back and
he was really good,” Genia told Rugby
World back in 2012. “That spurred me
on to be as good as him, if not better.”
In that interview, Genia also admitted
that “I like being in charge, being the
decision-maker” and it’s an attitude
Horwill recognises from their days
together with the Reds and Wallabies.
“He’s vocal on how things should be
done, particularly on the fi eld,” says the
former Australia captain. “He’d drive
standards and would be instrumental
in how he wanted the team to play.”
The Wallabies kick off their World Cup
campaign against Fiji in a couple of
months before further pool matches
against Wales, Uruguay and Georgia.
Horwill believes Genia is crucial to their
bid to win a third world title in Japan.
“He’ll be hugely important, particularly
when you look at the nines behind him.
He’s out-and-out the No 1 half-back in
the country. At the World Cup you need
experience and a calm head, and that’s
the benefi t he brings to the team.
“His organisation is up there with the
best in rugby, his pass is excellent and
his running game is a big asset of his.
That’s the hallmark of his game and the
thing teams playing against him are
probably most wary of is his snipe.
“I imagine teams spend a lot of time
working out how to deal with his threats.
The amount of time the opposition spend
trying to nullify him shows his impact.”
He may be small but Genia will be
looking to make a big impact in Japan. nThe Test centurion is crucial to the Wallabies’ World Cup hopes
Words Sarah Mockford // Pictures Getty ImagesWill Genia
A
FACT FILE
Age 31 (17 Jan 1988)
Born Port Moresby,
Papua New Guinea
Franchise Rebels
Position Scrum-half
Height 5ft 9in
Weight 12st 13lb
Australia caps 100 (18T)
Instagram @willgeniaFront Row