Wallabies bosses are being urged to avoid casting members of their youngest World Cup squad aside amid fears the scars of an early exit in France could stay for the rest of their careers. Eddie Jones' investment in youth ahead of the Rugby World Cup in France failed to pay dividends following a humiliating pool stage exit, with the Wallabies becoming the first Australian team to fall short of the quarter-finals in the tournament's 36-year history. Jones was adamant backing youth - with the likes of Michael Hooper and Quade Cooper left behind with young prospects like Tom Hooper and Carter Gordon left to fly the flag - would ensure Australia could prosper in the long term, and be in a position to lift the Webb Ellis Cup on home soil in four years' time. Yet concerns Jones may not even see out the year after being linked with a move to Japan have muddied the waters. Former Wallabies prop Ben Alexander says the investment in youth has to continue - while adding experience where necessary - rather than deciding one ill-fated tournament in France should be a reason to discard some of Australia's brightest young players. MORE SPORT: "That's a mistake Australia has probably made a lot of," Alexander said. "We don't have tonnes of players, so we really need to be focused on getting the most out of every single player, not just casting people off and moving onto the next brightest, hottest young thing. We really need to get the most out of everyone." Alexander, who played 72 Tests, knows better than most the difficulty of carrying the weight of a poor result for too long. The former ACT Brumbies prop was sin-binned during the final Test of the 2013 British and Irish Lions series and did not return to the field as the Wallabies were blown out of the water. Alexander has previously opened up on the trauma that followed. He drowned his sorrows, was still drunk at a team meeting the next morning, and broke down in tears on the way to the airport. His self-esteem was shattered and he would then struggle to find any enjoyment in international rugby throughout the remainder of his career. However today's crop can avoid suffering the same fate, with Alexander adamant a forgettable showing at the World Cup - where he was optimistic and even confident Australia could reach the semi-finals - can be a valuable learning experience. "[It was] frustrating, and not through lack of effort. As a player, there is no doubt how painful that campaign would have been," Alexander said. "If players are supported through it, I think it can be an incredibly valuable learning experience about what being under intense pressure is like, how you react under pressure is probably the difference between winning and losing big matches. "The All Blacks, they went through a lot of phases of choking under pressure. They choked in '99, '03, '07, but eventually they faced up to the reality they weren't great under pressure and they dealt with those issues and went on to win two World Cups. "If the team can play more together, players can keep developing and build confidence at the international level and learn to deal with pressure, there's the makings of a really great side there. "They definitely can get through it, as long as they've got the support to put it all together and put it all into context to pick the lessons out of it and move emotionally on from the disappointment, I think they can." We've made it a whole lot easier for you to have your say. Our comment platform requires only one log-in to access articles and to join the discussion on The Canberra Times website. Find out how to register so you can enjoy civil, friendly and engaging discussions. See our moderation policy here. Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: