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Eddie Jones says he will have his coaching team intact by May 1 but that his search for candidates is complicated by his late call up to the job.
This week the last remnants of the Dave Rennie era departed. Laurie Fisher, Dan McKellar and Petrus Du Plessis all confirmed as having no further role with the team under Jones.
“We want the coach’s team settled by the first of May. That’s the target I’ve got,” Jones said on his Eddie Podcast on Friday, while having what could be construed as a little dig at those no longer in favour.
“There’s a couple of backstories to this. We’re in a situation now where obviously, none of this was planned. And most coaches are in a job now.
“If they’re not in a job there’s a reason why they’re not in a job and and they’re not necessarily the sort of coaches we want.
“So it’s about finding people who are available, finding bright people, adaptable people. We need a balance of character, we need a balance of whether they’re analytical or more relationship based.
“So there’s a number of different factors involved in putting together a coaching team. And also we need a team that can get together quickly and work together quickly.
“A no-nonsense team that can do a smash and grab. We don’t need people who are too clever, that are all worried about every bits and pieces because we’ve got to get in there and do a job and so are we progressing on it – progressing nice and steadily. And by the first of May we’ll be ready.”
As well as building a coaching staff, Jones is expected to bring fresh ideas to the selections for his Wallabies squad.
He was heading to Townsville this weekend for the Reds game against the Hurricanes to see the players from close range.
“The television gives you a certain view of the game which is all the stuff around the ball, but in fact a lot of our selection is based on what the players do off the ball,” Jones explained.
“The ball’s only in play 30-35 minutes, and in that 35 minutes one player might only touch the ball for for a maximum of one minute.
Wallabies coach Eddie Jones speaks to fans. (Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)
“So it’s their work off the ball and it’s very hard to see that on the television. Being at the game you see how hard they work to support their teammates, also like to watch them warm up, communicate to their players, their facial expressions.
“All those sort of things are really important. Because what we need at the World Cup, we need a team that’s going to work harder than any other team. The six or seven teams at the top of World Rugby talent is almost equalised across the world.
“We’re seeing that by the the cluster of teams at the top so I’d say the ability to keep working hard. That selfless actions, that’s going to be massively important.”
He was asked by co-host David Pembroke if he was heading north to watch any players in particular.
“I’ll be paying attention to players that play well. Players select themselves, we don’t select them,” Jones insisted.
“I don’t go to the ground looking particularly for a player to watch. I expect the player to capture my attention and say, ‘you’d be stupid if you don’t pick me’.
“I’m hopeful there’s going to be a few there but having watched some play the trial game in Narrabri, there’s certainly some good young talent.
“There’s a famous name [Tom] Lynagh at 10 – a good little player, got good skill set, great kicking game like his father [Michael].
“And there’s a couple of other backs who are certainly looked like they got a bit about them – the young centre Josh Flook and the young Aboriginal boy, Floyd Aubrey, on the wing – dropped two balls could have gone into his shell but kept on looking for the ball and certainly he’s got some great talent.”