'Might consider it': home World Cup on Foley's mind

Officials hope the veteran pair will prove the missing pieces in the jigsaw some 13 years after piloting the Tahs to their one and only Super Rugby title way back in 2014.

And Foley and Phipps know the key to reviving the Waratahs' fortunes after two seasons of missing out on the finals largely rest on firing up the side's Formula One backline and, chiefly, the so-called "Ferrari" Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii.

As well as Suaalii, the Tahs boast fellow Wallabies excitement machine Max Jorgensen and will welcome prized NRL recruit Angus Crighton, who will likely slot in at inside centre.

"That was what's so exciting (about returning to the Waratahs). "The athletic ability, across the board, even in the forward pack," Foley said.

"You saw this year how hard they worked and how hard they worked for each other, and in so many of their games they were right in it towards the end or they defended their hearts out.

"There's just so much athletic ability and youth and excitement, so it's something that I can get excited by definitely, and looking forward to working with those guys.

"It's not teaching them anything new, it's just trying to free them up and let them be rugby players because they've got all the ability and all the skill already."

The code-hopping Suaalii has split his time between outside centre and fullback for the Wallabies and Waratahs in the two years since defecting from the NRL.

Foley believes the 23-year-old attacking trump can continue to do so.

"I'd just love to free him up," Foley said.

"He could be interchangeable. If teams are going to kick, let's put him at the back so he gets the ball as often as possible.

"As a 13, he's got a great role to keep the front line engaged, but then also his ability to create space for others as well and to use his running game and his off-loading game.

"So I'd probably persist with him at 13, but it's going to be the nature of the backline and the other players who are available already."

A hero of Australia's charge to the 2015 World Cup final and 2019 squad member, Foley admits appearing at the global showpiece for a third time and on home soil next year was a lure in returning home after seven years in Japan.

"Oh, I'm lying if it's not on the radar or it's not thought about," Foley said, nominating NFL great Tom Brady as inspiration.

"A couple of months ago, I was retiring and looking at that. So there's a lot of work to be done before there.

"One, get through a pre-season, get through a Super season and then try and think whether you can do a home World Cup. But there's not that many, I suppose, players in front of you if you can go and have a good season. 

"I haven't spoken to anyone involved at the Wallabies and I'm not really looking at it at the moment but if I can, get the body right, get myself into a good position, and have a good super season, then I might consider it."