Will Skelton still carries the hurt from the Wallabies’ World Cup calamity that he ended up overseeing as an injured, powerless captain – but the giant lock is back as a positive force, convinced Australian rugby can grasp “an awesome opportunity”.

The giant French-based lock has only returned to the national team camp over the past couple of days in Teddington, but the 32-year-old cuts a powerful, reassuring figure for the squad he once led, promising it would “mean the world” to him to don the gold at nearby Twickenham against England on Saturday.

Good judges, like former Test halfback Will Genia, have been trumpeting how the return of Skelton, a serial winner in Europe with Saracens in England and now La Rochelle in France, could prove coach Joe Schmidt’s key weapon on and off the field with his inspirational presence.

And even if he himself is not counting his chickens about being thrust straight back into the team after missing both the July series against Wales and the Rugby Championship, the genial but fiercely determined Skelton is typically upbeat about what he’s seen of Schmidt’s work.

Even if they’re ninth in the world rankings, Skelton was adamant on Tuesday: “The World Cup hurt everyone involved – former Wallabies, young guys who are trying to aspire to be future Wallabies.

“But I look at it as an awesome opportunity. We can really push up in the rankings and win every game that we can.

“We’ve got a Lions series next year, which is an exciting prospect for Australian rugby, and the guys that are involved now can fulfil the potential that we have in this team.

“There’s some really good stuff there, and when I get into camp you see that day in day out, the standards that we have at training, the expectations from a world-class coaching team.

“And that’s really filtering down to every player in the squad, so I have no doubt this team is going to get where we want to get to.”

He makes it all sound a far cry from last year’s World Cup calamity under Eddie Jones, when he suffered an injury that restricted him to just one pool-match appearance and may well have been a crucial factor in Australia’s subsequent unprecedented early exit.

“Very disappointing how we finished up at the World Cup. And, yeah, as captain, mate, it was tough,” Skelton reflected.

“But my motivation, it’s always high. It never went away. The motivation is always there to play for Australia.”

He said there had been no discussions with Schmidt about him regaining his captaincy.

“None of that stuff was discussed,” Skelton said.

“With a new team and a new coach, Joe’s got his own process with that, but I think just having experienced guys within the squad helps the group overall.

“And I’m just here, really, to add as much value as I can.”

After missing the first nine Tests of Schmidt’s reign, including The Rugby Championship that Japan-based wing Marika Koroibete featured in, some questioned Skelton’s desire to play for the Wallabies after years of jumping in and out of the side and the decision to turn down offers to return home to play in Super Rugby.

But the giant lock said a series of injuries, including at the World Cup, influenced his decision to stay put and get a proper pre-season under his belt, especially with a Lions series less than 12 months away.

“In the World Cup I got injured and did my calf, and then I came back and two weeks before I was supposed to play Bayonne, I did my hammy [hamstring]. Then I played 10 games and then did my calf and was out for eight weeks,” Skelton said.

“The body was struggling a bit so I front-footed it and said ‘Hey Joe, I think I really need a pre-season’. He was already looking at going with guys at home anyway (in July), and I thought that was the best decision either way – look now, you’ve got Jeremy Williams, “Fruit” (Nick Frost) is playing awesome, Lukhan (Salakaia-Loto) as well. Our locking stocks are looking good.

“But I am grateful to be here now, and I’m ready to return with the boys.”

He will certainly bolster a pack, honed by New Zealand’s much-lauded “scrum doctor” Mike Cron, that may well fancy its chances against an England eight that looked a mite vulnerable in the loss to the All Blacks.

“We’re seeing it as a massive opportunity to try and break that drought,” Skelton said, pondering the recent record of 10 England wins out of the past 11 Anglo-Australia Tests.

“It’s an opportunity to play against … 84,000 people, backs against the wall, and it’s just us in that circle, just that 23. We’ve got to draw from within.”

Whether Skelton is named in Schmidt’s matchday team remains to be seen.

After playing in La Rochelle’s 35-18 win over Stade Francais on Saturday, Skelton only joined the side on Sunday and will have just a couple of training sessions before the Wallabies take on Steve Borthwick’s English.

Skelton said he was confident he could front up physically against England but admitted getting up to speed with a different style of rugby and Schmidt’s plays wasn’t as easy.

“At La Rochelle we’re very set-piece dominated, French rugby is very physically, confrontation as well, which I really enjoy,” Skelton said. “It’s when I come into camp with the speed I’ve got to catch up on. The physical stuff I back myself there. It’s just trying to get the calls and details right.”