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World Cup winning coach Steve Hansen is helping out Eddie Jones with the Wallabies ahead of their World Cup campaign and the news has come as a major surprise to the All Blacks.
A Rugby Australia source told The Roar on Monday that Hansen would be with the team for about two weeks. It’s believed the World Cup winner isn’t getting paid for his cameo.
Such is the feeling in New Zealand, Prime Minister Chris Hipkins was asked what Hansen’s ‘punishment’ should be and replied: “We should cancel his citizenship”, before laughing and quickly adding, “That’s a joke just to be very clear”.
Hansen won the 2015 World Cup at the helm of the All Blacks – beating Australia in the final. He has been helping Jones in advisory role as they prepare for their pre-Cup match against France this weekend.
Hansen and Jones are friends and recently coached against each other as the Barbarians faced off against a World XV – and they have been rivals stretching back to Super Rugby days in 1997.
Hansen has played down the connection but the news went down like a lead balloon in the All Blacks camp, when they were told.
Hansen coached 16 players in the All Blacks squad at the 2019 World Cup. Six veterans played under him for the 2015 World Cup triumph, too.
“What, actually? In camp, kind of set-up?,” said a “gobsmacked” Dane Coles.
“Shag, what are you up to?!
“It hurts a little bit, to be fair. I know he’s tight with Eddie, they’re good mates … but he’s a bit of an icon in the All Black set up. I’m a bit speechless, a bit disappointing but we can’t do much about that.”
“Hopefully, he doesn’t tell them all our secrets, but I think he will be respectful.”
Hansen tried to clear up the involvement in radio interviews on Tuesday and said he had spoken to All Blacks coach Ian Foster and his involvement was for “four or five days”.
“They’re fully informed on what’s going on,” said Hansen. “It’s completely wrong. I’m not joining the Wallabies, I’m up here with my wife on other business and got asked by Eddie if I could spend a few days with them and as he’s a mate, I said yes.”
Hansen was in full scale damage control, taking to multiple channels.
“I’m just here as a friend,” he told Newstalk ZB, adding the Wallabies were “looking good actually, they are a good young team.
“They’re working hard and I’d just like to put everybody’s mind at rest that I haven’t joined the Wallabies for the Rugby World Cup.
“I’m only here for about three or four days at the request of Eddie, a good mate of mine, just to give him some feedback on what he’s doing as opposed to anything else.
“Rugby is bigger than all of us, so I’m happy to do that.”
Hansen added: “They’re rebuilding themselves, trying to reestablish themselves.
“Eddie seems pretty hellbent on having his own Australian style and he’s picked a young team.
“He’s left a lot of the senior players out and, and as a result…I wouldn’t call them naive but they’re young as far as test experience goes.
“…the All Blacks themselves have come through some adversity in the last 12 months and it’s made them stronger and I think the Australians will have to do the same.”.
Hansen gave Jones a wrap before their recent encounter.
“Eddie is a rugby man through and through, he loves the game. He’s quirky … and he has a massive work ethic,” Hansen told the Sydney Morning Herald.
Steve Hansen. (Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images for Barbarians)
“But underneath it all he cares about the game and the people who are involved in it. He is a good analyst of the game. He has the ability to bring a group together pretty quickly. I just enjoy his company. I like talking rugby with him and he has a good sense of humour as well. He likes a beer and a punt, and so do I.”
He also talked up the talent in Australian ranks.
“I have always believed Australia has plenty of talent. I don’t think the system in Australia helps that talent to the point where they can be really dominant,” Hansen said.
“There is a lot of teams and there are a lot of people getting contracts. So the pressure is not on to have to really fight for a contract.
“But they definitely have the talent and with a man like Eddie, who understands because he is an Australian himself and loves his country, he will be very, very demanding on them.
“He will make up for some of that other stuff that wasn’t there. He is a good selector. It is subtly different to when you have a foreign coach. Dave Rennie did a good job and Robbie (Deans) did a good job, however, when you have got that guy who is demanding, and he is an Aussie himself and you know he walks the talk, then you can lift that extra bit more for it.”
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.