Foley admits he hasn't 'shot the lights out' since international return but WC dream remains

Bernard Foley accepts that by no means has he nailed down his position as the Wallabies’ playmaker as he keeps his World Cup dream firmly at the back of his mind.

The 33-year-old, who steered Australia to a World Cup final back in 2015, may be in pole position to spearhead the Wallabies again at the big show in France next year but he’s the first to admit he hasn’t “shot the lights out” since his international return in August.

Foley, though, can deliver a big statement about his credentials on Saturday should he orchestrate an Australian triumph in Paris against a French side rated by Wallabies coach Dave Rennie as the No.1 outfit in the world.

“I don’t believe I have solidified my spot or come and shot the lights out,” Foley shrugged when asked by reporters on Thursday about his current position.

“It’s been great to come into this squad and to get to know the players, understand the coaches. This group has been trying extremely hard for a number of years now, and I’m trying to build on those connections.

“There’s plenty of improvement and I’ve been excited to go on this journey and keep challenging myself to be a better player each week.”

In the country where he could play in a third World Cup next year, Foley was not about to predict the future as he smiled: “There’s a lot of rugby to be played, probably a lot of personnel changes to be made too.

But the World Cup dream, he added, “should be on the radar of every Australian player, wherever they’re playing around the world.”

“Although it’s in my back of the mind, I’m really just focusing on each week, trying to do my job here for the team. And we’ve got a great challenge this weekend against the French,” he said.

Foley, who kicked nine points in Australia’s 16-15 win over Scotland at Murrayfield last Saturday, is looking forward to an even more demanding experience against a side seeking a record 11th straight win in front of their home fans.

“It’s going to be very loud, a hostile environment and we’ve got to embrace the atmosphere and the whole spectacle and not fear away from that.”