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The Wallabies might be winless in 2023 but that hasn’t stopped Eddie Jones’ front-foot approach, with the veteran coach issuing the All Blacks a warning to be on guard ahead of their two-Test Bledisloe series.
“Whilst it seems like it’s doom and gloom at the moment, beating inside here is a fair bit of optimism that we’ll be able to change fairly quickly in the next couple of weeks. If I was the All Blacks, I’d look out,” Jones told reporters following the Wallabies’ heartbreaking 34-31 loss in Parramatta.
After a marathon wait deep inside the CommBank Stadium press conference room, Jones took to the stage and didn’t flinch after his second straight defeat since being parachuted into the role at the expense of Dave Rennie in January.
“Who’d like to start,” he said, before later saying “fire up, boys” as his media manager moved to end the press conference.
Wallabies coach Eddie Jones described the Wallabies as a “broken down Datsun 1200” after losing to Argentina. (Photo by Jason McCawley/Getty Images)
Despite acknowledging the Wallabies needed a “heart surgeon” to mend their broken hearts, Jones said he was “100 per cent confident” the fallen rugby powerhouse could rise again, even if they resembled a “broken car” much like his first Datsun 1200.
“We’re a bit like a broken car,” he said.
“My first car was a Datsun 1200. You’d fix the handbrake and the next day the windscreen wipers would break, and we’re a bit like that moment.”
Jones was referencing his side’s improvement at the scrum, where they shaved Argentina at the set-piece battle but lost the little moments at the breakdown that ultimately proved fatal.
“Last week our set-piece wasn’t good, this week our set-piece was good,” he said.
“Last week, we didn’t attack. This week we did attack, but our decision-making around the ball was poor.
“This is a bit of a process we’ve got to go through. As painful as it is, and as hard as it is, and it seems like where we want to be, the team we are today is a long way from the team we want to be tomorrow, but you know we’ll keep working on it and we’ll get it right.”
The Pumas celebrate Juan Martin Gonzalez’s matchwinning try at CommBank Stadium on July 15, 2023 in Sydney. (Photo by Jason McCawley/Getty Images)
After being smashed 43-12 in Pretoria against the Springboks, the Wallabies slipped behind Argentina on the World Rugby rankings following their three-point loss in Sydney.
While Jones recognised the Wallabies were off the pace, he said he didn’t care about the rankings because his entire focus was on the World Cup – even if that meant losing a couple on the way to France.
“Obviously not happy,” he said, “but in a lot of ways, in this period, this isn’t about rankings, it’s about getting ready for the World Cup.
“I’ve come here to get the team ready for the World Cup.
“Ideally, we would have won every game we played. But that hasn’t happened and it mightn’t happen. But we’re getting the team ready for the World Cup.”
Jones said he could have simplified the Wallabies’ game-plan to give them a better shot immediately, but added that wouldn’t have helped them in France.
“It would have been easy if I come in, pared everything back and played a really simple game, but that’s not going to win us a World Cup,” he said.
“We need to be able to play a number of different ways, and we need an attack that’s unpredictable to the opposition, which at the moment is unpredictable to us, too. So, attack’s beating us and letting the opposition win, but we’ll get that right.”
The Wallabies let another match slip through their fingers. (Photo by Scott Gardiner/Getty Images)
Asked whether Jones needed to change tack, the 63-year-old was steadfast in his belief the Wallabies needed to expand their game.
“No, not at all,” he said.
“Because we’ve got to win the World Cup, got to win the World Cup. We’ve come here to win the World Cup.
“We’re going to be able to play a game that gives us an opportunity to win the World Cup, and to do that we have to change because if we try to copy other teams, which maybe has been the case, then we’re not going to be good enough. We want to give ourselves a chance.”
Having earlier in the week said that momentum is hard to keep for months, Jones said the Wallabies could find it themselves quickly – even as soon as the MCG Bledisloe opener in a fortnight’s time.
“I think we’re going to get a lot better, a lot quickly,” he said.
“And something will happen and it might be Richie Mo’unga runs, offloads, we intercept, we take a try and the whole team changes.
“Or it might be at the start of the game, we attack the first three phases and we have to work hard to score a try.
“Something like that will happen and the team will change because that’s all we are away from. I know that’s a bit airy fairy, but that’s what happens to teams. And it happens in life. There’s always something that happens that changes the dynamics of the team.
“At the moment, we’re a bit like here and there, and we do some things well and then we give them the ball back and it’s just not there. It’s just not happening at the moment, but it will.”
Pumas coach Michael Cheika (C) believes Eddie Jones’ (L) Wallabies will top their pool at the World Cup despite Argentina’s win at CommBank Stadium on July 15, 2023 in Sydney. (Photo by Jason McCawley/Getty Images)
The Wallabies are grouped alongside Wales, Fiji, Georgia and Portugal.
Argentine coach Michael Cheika, who took Australia to the 2015 World Cup final and could meet his former side in this year’s quarter-finals, backed Jones’ Wallabies to top their pool.
“I don’t think it’s my place to hold opinion on what Australia does but what I will say is this: I’m 100 per cent confident Australia will win their pool in the World Cup,” he said.
“They’ve got a good team, good players. They’ll be there.”
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.