Australia's foreign legion of European stars have copped their fair share of flak since returning for Wallabies duties, some arguing they are past their best and that Michael Cheika would be better off blooding youngsters.

While Genia, 28, is not quite as old as the likes of Matt Giteau, Adam Ashley-Cooper and Drew Mitchell, he has been excellent for the Wallabies since returning from France, scoring two tries in Saturday's win over Argentina in Perth.

Even if Genia believes he might have knocked-on during the first of his five-pointers, it was his first try in Wallabies colours since 2013 against the All Blacks in Sydney.

Genia said he couldn't help but send a cheeky reminder to his wife letting her know the drought had been broken.

"I think I was more pleased to get one, my wife has been giving it to me," Genia joked. "The last time I scored a try was 2013 for the Wallabies so I messaged her straight after the game and said: 'there's two for you'."

Did Genia get a pat on the back from his wife in the form of a text message?

"She didn't even acknowledge it, she just said good win," Genia said. "My wife, she gives it to me but I don't really care about that sort of stuff. You're lucky to score a try but for me it's more pleasing to get a good result and contribute to the team positively."

Genia said he felt "reinvigorated" after a long lay-off with injury and was pleased to be reaping the rewards, both individually and as a team, from hard work on the training paddock in a year of adversity.

"I'm really enjoying it now because I had seven months of not playing," Genia said. "It was hard because with my knee I just gave it three or four months to just get everything right so that I could play again. That's what makes you pretty hungry to get back out there. When you get back out there, you're really happy to be out there."

Genia's service to five-eighth Quade Cooper – as well as Bernard Foley at times when the Waratahs playmaker has moved to first receiver – has been of high quality, particularly off front-foot ball set up by a Wallabies forward pack growing in confidence and belief.

Cheika said he was once again impressed with the partnership of Genia and Cooper, who together were involved in four of the Wallabies' five tries against the Pumas.

"Good possession from the set piece allowed them to get on the front foot and when we gave them good possession on the front-foot ball we were able to work that," Cheika said. "I'm happy with them and Bernard; the three of them there. [They've] just got to keep building that partnership."

Genia agreed Cooper was in fine form, saying: "Quade's playing really well. He's made a real difference since he's come into the side, playing [number] 10 and gives the side really good direction and it's good to be back playing with him, I really enjoy it. He's one of my favourite players to play with."

Vice-captain Michael Hooper went so far as to say it looked like Cooper had "spiders on him" at the moment and reiterated why it was imperative to continue momentum on the road in Pretoria and London in the coming weeks.

"Would love to win away from home," Hooper said. "Tough places to win where we're going. We've had some good history at Twickenham, haven't won at Pretoria, so straight off the bat we're leaving next Saturday. [It is] going to be enjoyable to get over there and put in some hard work and in the altitude.

"We've had a lot of heat from teams and everyone, so we're sticking together."