Superstar rugby recruit Sam Burgess has backed new Wallabies coach Michael Cheika to reverse Australia's fortunes ahead of next year's World Cup.
Cheika, in turn, has given the Bath player a boost by insisting he's capable of mastering the new code in time to himself appear at the 2015 tournament.
Burgess was presented as a Bath player on Thursday less than a month after guiding South Sydney to victory in the NRL grand final despite suffering a fractured cheekbone and eye socket.
The 25-year-old hasn't spoken to Cheika since he was named as Ewen McKenzie's replacement but did leave a voicemail congratulating him on the Wallabies appointment.
"I think he's the man for the job and the man that can turn their team around," Burgess told reporters in Bath.
"For England rugby it's probably not the greatest news but for Mike himself I'm really happy for him.
"He's a great guy, he's very driven and he's got a great mindset towards the game.
"He's going to do a great job for Australia."
Burgess first met Cheika's brother Paul in 2010 through a mutual Sydney real estate contact.
The code-hopper watched the coach closely during his stint in charge of Super Rugby's NSW Waratahs.
After deciding to move to Bath, Burgess occasionally met with Cheika to take his mind off the NRL. The pair would chat about rugby with the coach offering tips.
"Even before I met him I liked his mannerisms and the way he dealt with the media and his passion," Burgess said on Thursday.
"Then once I met him and spoke to him I thought he's a great coach and I knew he was going to be successful.
"I know what he's about, I know his standards, I know how driven he is as a guy and I know what he demands from his players."
Burgess himself has less than a year to get up to speed with the 15-man code and impress England coach Stuart Lancaster enough to be picked for the World Cup on home soil.
Cheika, for one, thinks the 2014 international rugby league player of the year has what it takes.
"I think if any player could make it, he could," the Wallabies coach told reporters in London.
"(He's) coming from pretty much a zero base but just his enthusiasm for the game and his hunger to learn and individual skill (means) if any player could do it he certainly could."
Cheika said Burgess's passion would outweigh any issues the Bath recruit may have learning the new code.
"We'll be looking forward to when he gets the opportunity hopefully to play for England and (we) might get a chance to play him which would be great."
Meanwhile, Burgess praised Will Genia as a "quality player" after the halfback this week said the possibility of playing alongside the Englishman at Bath was "appealing".
But Bath coach Mike Ford on Thursday was cagey when asked about the possibility of Genia joining his club after the World Cup.
"We're looking for quality players all the time, recruitment never stops," the coach said when asked if Genia could be Bath-bound.
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