Wallabies hooker Matt Faessler is hoping last week’s boisterous crowd is just the start as they officially launch into their World Cup campaign.
The squad made the trip down from Paris to Saint Etienne, the team’s official base for the World Cup.
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The quiet town sits an hour outside of Lyon, providing the squad with the necessary escape from the limelight to focus on their campaign.
They experienced the inverse on the weekend, welcomed to France by a defining Stade de France crowd as they went down to the hosts 41-17.
"I’ve never experienced crowds like it on the weekend,” Faessler said. "The French are a very passionate people and if the crowds throughout the World Cup are like the one on the weekend, I can’t wait to play more games here. It’s going to be unreal.”
The Wallabies will make base in the town before heading back to the capital for their opening World Cup game against Georgia.
The squad is prepared for all conditions, welcomed to France by a blazing heatwave that would’ve had many thinking they were still in Darwin.
"I think training at this level is always tough (but) an element to it was the heat that was getting around when we got to Paris,” Faessler explained.
"It’s starting to cool down but it’ll be interesting to see what the elements give to us towards the end of the week and during the World Cup.”
Faessler’s rise into the Wallabies set-up has been rapid, only making his debut at the start of the month against the All Blacks.
With 25 players off to their first World Cup, the Reds hooker was looking to relish every opportunity he got.
"The experience with the Wallabies has been awesome,” Faessler said
"Training has been very tough…At the moment, I’m trying to soak it all in and learn as much as I can because I think it’s one of those once-in-a-lifetime moments. Not many people get to go to a World Cup so I feel very privileged.
"…This is a very hungry, self-driven group that are pretty keen to work hard. We’ve gotten quite close over the coming months so we’re excited to see what we can achieve.”
