Freshly into international retirement, Wallabies legend James Slipper is confident his former teammates have what it takes to go far at the 2027 Rugby World Cup.
Slipper has enjoyed spectator life after calling time on his Test career before the Spring Tour.
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The prop knows better than most what it takes to succeed at World Cups, holding the most caps for an Australian at the hallmark event.
He remains confident they can compete with the best after a tough end-of-season tour if they sort out some key areas.
"I think in terms of our year that we've had this year, there were some really good aspects to the way we played the game… I just thought as the year went on, we probably fell away, whether that's through fatigue or injury," he told the media.
"I think the biggest thing would be around the discipline and defence.I thought our set-piece was pretty strong, but our lineout really struggled towards the end of the year.
"All those areas of the game that are your nuts and bolts, like the base of your game, need to be really strong in a World Cup. That's probably something that the set-piece, defence and discipline sit in."
Slipper was part of the ceremony to decide the draw and could feel the energy of the event as it prepares to come to Australia.
Just don't expect it to change his mind about his Test future.
"I don't think so. I was really happy with my decision to finish up this year. I've played enough games and I've been to four World Cups," Slipper said.
"It's really exciting. The World Cup itself is so big, but to be at home as well is going to be even bigger. I'm excited."
The prop will still feature for the ACT Brumbies during Super Rugby Pacific next year, preparing to return to pre-season next week.
"Since I retired in Perth, I've really enjoyed my time at home. I've spent 16 years with the Wallabies, and that's a lot of time living out of a suitcase so I've really enjoyed being at home," he added.
"I've got two young kids, but it hasn't been a clean break from rugby. I know deep down that I'm going back to Super Rugby, I'm going back to the Brumbies.
"I haven't really detached from the game as such, but I've really enjoyed the fact that I've stopped playing internationally.
