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LONDON: Australia's longest-serving and arguably most successful halves pairing have backed Will Genia and Bernard Foley to scale great heights for the Wallabies. 
Genia and Foley have started just four Test matches together in the crucial positions of halfback and five-eighth, and on Sunday they will lead the Wallabies into battle against Argentina in the World Cup semi-final. 
As halves pairings go, they are only at first base. Compared with the extraordinary 79-Test partnership forged by George Gregan and Stephen Larkham over a wildly successful decade with the Wallabies, they barely know each other's names.
But both Larkham and Gregan believe the Genia-Foley partnership has great potential, especially in tandem with the presence of veteran No.12 Matt Giteau in the Australian back line. 
"The biggest thing we've been working on is the combination between the nine, 10 and 12 and I think that's probably come a long way, more so in this tournament than prior to it," Larkham said.
As Wallabies attack coach, Larkham is front and centre in the burgeoning relationship. Genia, Foley and Giteau spend hours together on the training paddock, but there are no shortcuts to a connection of the quality enjoyed by Gregan and Larkham.
That was forged at provincial level, when the pair played for the Brumbies, and helped fuel their synergy in Test rugby. After the Wallabies bowed out of the 2007 World Cup in the quarter-finals, an emotional Larkham paid tribute to his No.9.
"He has been the rock behind my career," he said in Marseilles.
"Every game that I have played, he has sort of been there. He has played a lot more games than I have. 
"He was my mentor when I first started in the five-eighth role. He coached me throughout the early years and continued to coach me through the later years in terms of correcting things in my game. I am indebted to him."
Gregan says it was easy to play with someone as gifted as Larkham. 
"He started at halfback, played fullback, outside centre, and then Rod Macqueen took a punt on him in 1998 and we won 76-0 against England in that game," Gregan said. 
"He had rare skills ... I don't think there's anyone who's played like him since. There's comparisons with Quade [Cooper] because of his long passing game, but Steve took the line on like no one else."
Foley did not have his finest moment against Scotland last weekend, but Larkham said there was no cause for concern. 
"There are a few other guys as well who are obviously in a bit of a hole, [prop] James Slipper being one," he said.  
"He thought he'd lost it for us. That's what happens in games, you make mistakes. He had a really good game against England, almost a perfect game, and you can't expect that every week.
"They were just big mistakes and that hurt us a little bit, but I thought he bounced back from them really well."
The Pumas boast one of the form players of the competition at No.10 in Nicolas Sanchez, whose kicking game alone has given his side a consistent source of points. 
Gregan said the Argentine five-eighth was in sizzling shape but said the Australians had time to stamp their authority on the match at Twickenham on Sunday. 
There was technical work to cover between now and the semi-final, but the most important strides the pair could take would be in their connection on the field. 
"It's about making sure they're all seeing the same picture and then trusting on a bit of a feel developing between them, so we know that if one is a bit flat the other can step up and take over for a little," Gregan said. 
"They're still working on that but that's certainly come along in the last four weeks."
Dynamic duo: Stephen Larkham and George Gregan at Coogee in 2007. Photo: Ian Waldie
Whether it will all be in time to carry Australia's World Cup campaign forward for another week is another matter entirely. 
"I've seen really good glimpses from all of them [Genia, Foley and Giteau] and I think they're getting more and more confident," Gregan said. 
"Will's got his running game going, but they also have a nice balance in how they're wanting to attack. 
"I really think their best rugby is ahead of them, and that's exciting, because they'll be looking forward to getting back into the arena and performing at highest level."