Eddie Jones’ cunning World Cup plans are coming to the fore, with the new Wallabies coach influential in helping orchestrate a series of Barbarians fixtures that will be Australian-heavy during the World Cup.
With no third-tier competition to fall back on and almost 17,000 kilometres separating Sydney from Paris, The Roar can revel Jones has helped plan as many as six Barbarian fixtures to coincide with the World Cup.
It means that if anything happens to his 33-man World Cup squad in France, Jones will have match-ready players across the English Channel to be able to call on when injury invariably strikes.
Wallabies head coach Eddie Jones has helped orchestrate several Barbarians matches for Australians to play in. (Photo by Daniel Pockett/Getty Images)
It’s a masterful play that could change how Jones configures his squad.
Waratahs defence coach Jason Gilmore, who will lead Australia A in a fixture against Tonga on July 15, is set to oversee the Barbarians.
He will be joined by outgoing Brumbies assistant Laurie Fisher, while Wallabies skills coach Berrick Barnes and Junior Wallabies coach Nathan Grey, who was Michael Cheika’s assistant at the past two World Cup campaigns, will split the duties and spend three weeks each with the squad.
The Barbarians will play five matches against English opposition, including Bristol, Gloucester and Harlequins, while a sixth fixture is being explored against Welsh opposition.
Just who features in the squad remains to be seen, but it’s expected it will be Australian-heavy with a view firmly on the next tier of players that could feature in Jones’ World Cup side.
Who selects the squad remains to be seen too, but it’s likely Jones, who coached the Barbarians against the World XV last month, will be influential in picking it.
As one source said, “The details are sketchy”.
Former Wallabies assistant Laurie Fisher will feature in Australian-heavy Barbarians coaching team throughout the World Cup. (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)
With Australia’s domestic competition over by July and pre-season for the 2024 campaign still months away, the fixtures have been devised firmly with a view of giving Jones the best opportunity to keep his fringe players match-fit and ready to be called on.
After being sensationally parachuted into the role in mid-January, Jones has several crucial selection decisions to make.
While Jones doesn’t have to name his World Cup squad officially until August 28, the day after the Wallabies play France in Paris in their last match before the tournament gets away on September 8, it’s believed the experienced coach could name his squad as early as before the Bledisloe Cup in late July.
Jones wants to get the core of his players playing together focused on their “smash and grab” mission without any distractions.
But whether he takes three hookers, three halfbacks and three playmakers remains to be seen. It’s why he’s been looking for a playmaker who can also cover fullback, or a halfback who could play fly-half if injury strikes.
Whether Eddie Jones takes three halfbacks and three playmakers remains to be seen. (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)
In 2015, Michael Cheika took just two hookers and two halfbacks to the World Cup and had the luxury of Matt Giteau, who could cover multiple positions, in his squad. He later added a third hooker to the 2015 World Cup campaign after injury struck throughout his squad.
Four years later Cheika named three hookers, but still named just two halfbacks – experienced Wallabies Will Genia and Nic White.
Jones, meanwhile, named just two halfbacks in his squad four years ago, with Ben Youngs playing the bulk of the minutes.
For the 2023 tournament, World Rugby has increased the squad size to 33 because of the increased understanding of concussion and protocols surrounding return to play.
How Jones uses the extra two selections remains to be seen, but the openness of the squad, where there are several options but few clearcut choices, will make selection tricky.
The fact Jones has just five official Tests to prepare for the tournament means the 63-year-old will have little time to experiment.
Wallabies coach Eddie Jones during a training camp at Sanctuary Cove on April 18, 2023. Photo: Chris Hyde/Getty Images
What does seem likely is Jones will be granted two additional overseas selections for the World Cup, which will be known as the ‘Eddie Exceptions’, meaning the Wallabies could field five foreign-based players.
Interestingly, Jones included six foreign-based Wallabies in his April training camp, which featured two locks (French-based Will Skelton and Richie Arnold) and two playmakers (Japanese-based Quade Cooper and Bernard Foley).
Should Jones indeed be allowed to include five overseas-based players in his World Cup, it could mean the Wallabies coach is wanting to have one of the important aforementioned players playing for the Barbarians close by should a serious injury strike throughout the tournament.
Worlds Biggest
Roar Pro
Totally agree, let’s not go back to the Foley well again.
Tim J
Roar Rookie
I concur Brendon… :thumbup:
Brendan NH Fan
Roar Rookie
BaaBaas will only be professional players so not sure there are many professional players that aren't preparing for the WC or with their team. A club must release the player and the NH teams will be well into preseason so aren't going to give their players 4 weeks off to go drinking and having fun. Look at the BaaBaa team that got smashed by Quinns even though it was coached by the best coach ever. Not sure an NH teams would waste a preseason warm-up game on the BaaBaas if it was filled with a bunch of MRL players.
Brendan NH Fan
Roar Rookie
when the Force was cut the other Oz team performances didn't really do better, they go one win in NZ after the Force was cut. I am not sure what starting player at the Force or Rebels would take a paycut and barely play at the other teams or go OS and play 20+ games a season and get a payrise.
Brendan NH Fan
Roar Rookie
WC warm ups throw the normal season into chaos. Some nations would rather play club teams (and possibly train with them too) while some T1 want to play T2 Nations as they are easier games but a good physical battle none the less. NZ XV are playing Japan as a pre-warm up. The PIs are mainly NH based so need the off season to rest up. Fiji have England and France. Japan have Italy and the Three PI teams. Georgia have Scotland. Smaller teams like Uruguay are struggling to get test matches but I don’t think RA would want them or teams like them sadly. Oz A could do a tour of North America as neither USA or Canada qualified.
Brendan NH Fan
Roar Rookie
Oz teams aren't to far behind the NZ teams apart from Saders and probably Blues. Chiefs are having a great season but them and Canes are not a million miles away for Reds, Tahs and once the another NZ team get dropped out of the top 5 it will have Oz in a good position.
John Ferguson
Expert
Hey Brendan, just because it has, doesn't mean it should. As for players that are free, I am sure there are lot's of Japanese, Tongan, Samoan, Fijian candidates, as well as players from Uruguay, USA, Spain, as well as some players in the French, Italian and English/Irish clubs that have negligible commitments. Case in point Aus need a third 2nd tier above clubland.
Brendan NH Fan
Roar Rookie
There has been plenty times the BaaBaas has been geographical. BaaBaa teams are dependant on players being free. All the NH clubs will have their players in pre-season or the season will have started. NZ players will either be with the XV or NPC so who does that leave that is not at the WC.
Brendan NH Fan
Roar Rookie
Eddie has his England contacts which also loops him into the EPCR so that does help. Not sure DR was there long enough or worked enough with teams/organisations to build the same links.
Brendan NH Fan
Roar Rookie
NZ XV would probably happily play a few games.
Brendan NH Fan
Roar Rookie
Wages are the biggest cost and RA have already paid all the players and coaches. Fans don't really have any other games to go to for most teams so plenty will watch. Do you think that Oz rugby fans will be satisfied with one Oz game a week to watch and have no other desire for 2-3 more games a weekend.
Brendan NH Fan
Roar Rookie
I would not say the SR is more challenging than an A game if the players know that their performance in the A game will be rewarded with promotion to the Test side. Often it is just something to earn money than prove players. I think Oz A squad last year was used as what determined call ups in the RC and EOYT last year.
El Gamba
Roar Guru
If it’s a 10 team structure we’d need a 12 team finals format
Tim J
Roar Rookie
Some NZers have issues about it Brendon. My personal view is that the players make the decision which is their choice, unfortunately the North have the money to throw at PI players. Some need to understand that some players went there with their families when they were young for a better life.
Brendan NH Fan
Roar Rookie
Are NZ people as considerate around England picking Manu Tuilagi who played his junior rugby in England, Vunipolas are the same or Faletau for Wales. France get snide remarks for picking players from French islands in the Pacific. Irish fans were even told they were robbing Samoa of Aki. OZ and NZ born players move to Europe and become PI players. PI born players move to OZ and NZ and are only ever talked about as OZ or NZ players.
Brendan NH Fan
Roar Rookie
Play SR AU. RA are paying all the players and coaches to sit at home and do nothing.
Brendan NH Fan
Roar Rookie
I think the issue is that a semi pro tournament is not good enough to fill in the missing 4 months. In NH professional teams play about 8 weeks then November Tests , then 8 weeks and 6N, finally 8 weeks and July Test. It means that Eddie is use to picking players whose form can be based on the most recent 8 week block of professional games. Both RA and NZR must pick players on SR form regardless of player progress or form at the level under SRP (even NPC player form does not trump SRP form see AB picks to cover injured players)
SDRedsFan
Roar Rookie
I'm definitely not saying to do away with the existing clubs. But if you're picking rep teams from Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra and Perth, doesn't it make sense that those rep teams are the already existing Super Rugby teams? Why reinvent new teams? Keep the Aussie teams playing through the rest of winter to give us fans something to watch. If we want to expand the player base and expose them to a higher level, give each Super club a 2ndXV comp as well to be played as the curtain raiser at each game.
Brendan NH Fan
Roar Rookie
As the Force has been looking to do I think we are going to see more teams coming North to cash in on the NH pre-season games. I think we could see pre-season cups like they do in soccer. Hopefully this will help RA & NZR see that having your last Super Rugby game in June and picking all that years on games that may have happened 4 months previous (in cases of EOYTs) is not working. RA don't have a third level and NPC is not as high as SRP so form in it does not top what another player did in SRP. It also may be Eddie's way of telling RA that his players dont play enough high level games during the year in SRP.
Leroy14
Roar Rookie
Totally agree, PK