The old Will Genia may have struggled with playing second fiddle for the Wallabies.

But the veteran halfback says learning to realise it’s about the team, not the individual, has let him enjoy a new perspective on the spring tour.

The Reds star continues to work his way back from serious ankle surgery, making encouraging cameos off the bench against Wales and France in recent weeks.

His ultimate goal is reclaiming a starting spot but it looks unlikely he will displace first-choice No.9 Nick Phipps in the remaining tour games against Ireland and England.

Genia admits he’s struggled to deal with being dropped in the past but said his experience and maturity was allowing him to see the positive side of the situation he and fellow half Quade Cooper found themselves in as impact players.

“For a long time there I was always playing number nine. Now I’m sitting on the bench and getting another perspective,” Genia said after the Wallabies trained in Dublin on Tuesday ahead of this week’s showdown with Ireland.

“It’s good because you get to look at the game from a different point of view.

“Sitting with Quade (in the loss to France) we were saying `potentially we could have done this, we could have done that’ and ‘when we get on, let’s do this’.

“It’s about helping the team in that sense and I’m trying to be positive about it all.”

Prior to this year, Genia has virtually had a stranglehold on the No.9 jersey since 2009 and admits he took it hard when he was dropped by former coach Ewen McKenzie for Nic White following a loss to South Africa in Brisbane last year.

“That was the one time I did get dropped that kind of affected me,” Genia said.

“I was lucky enough I was straight back in the team two weeks later but I learned from that experience it’s about being positive and understanding that it’s not just about the (first) 23 (players).

“It’s about a collective effort and seeing it from that point of view rather than being selfish as an individual, especially when you come away on tours like this.”

Genia believes the Wallabies will have their work cut out against the impressive Irish halves duo of Johnny Sexton and Conor Murray if they are to bounce back from last week’s 29-26 defeat to France.

The performance in Paris highlighted the work ahead under Michael Cheika but Genia is confident there is sufficient time for Australia to adapt to the new coach’s game plan before next year’s World Cup.

“Everyone is excited about the way he wants to play the game and everyone has bought into it,” Genia said.

“We have around six Test matches until the World Cup and I think also the time the team will spend together in training and getting used to it, I think there’s more than enough.”