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SAINT ETIENNE – Eddie Jones insists Australian rugby needed a generational change ahead of the World Cup, even if it meant “experiencing some pain” along the way, while the Wallabies boss added that next weekend’s do-or-die clash against Wales are the “weeks you remember”.
One of the reasons why Jones looked past experienced campaigners Quade Cooper and Michael Hooper was he believed Australian rugby needed a reset after winning less than 40 per cent of Tests since 2016, particularly with the Wallabies hosting two showcase events in the coming four years.
It led to Jones taking the youngest Wallabies squad to a World Cup since 1991, with 25 of the 33 players featuring at their maiden tournament and only five players over the age of 30.
Yet, Sunday’s historic 22-15 defeat against Fiji has put the Wallabies 80 minutes out from their worst result at a World Cup.
The Wallabies react following their loss to Fiji at the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard on September 17, 2023 in Saint-Etienne. (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)
Indeed, defeat to Wales would mean they would all but certainly be eliminated in the group stage for the first time in 10 World Cups. Even a victory without a bonus point could be terminal to their hopes of progressing to the final eight.
The defeat in front of more than 41,000 fans saw young playmaker Carter Gordon hooked after just 49 minutes.
The decision to drag the Rebels youngster, who played his first full season of Super Rugby in 2023 after a couple of years being in and out of the side for form reasons, meant Jones rejigged his backline by turning to the only other fly-half in the squad Ben Donaldson.
Jones backed Gordon to recover and respond well from his early exit.
“Carter is a young 10. He’s going to have those days but he’ll bounce back, he’s a good young player,” he said following the loss.
Two-time World Cup winner Sonny Bill Williams criticised Jones’ decision to withdraw the 22-year-old early.
“I feel for Carter Gordon right now because he doesn’t have a Quade Cooper or Bernard Foley to go back to the hotel and pull him aside and say ‘bro these things happen, you’ll learn from this’. It was really tough to see him pulled like that,” he said on Stan Sport.
“I’d like to see Carter given another shot for the young man’s confidence. For him to be pulled out would be a tragedy.”
Carter Gordon was pulled early in the second half against Fiji in their second World Cup clash in 2023. (Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images)
Because of the mental scarring in Australian rugby, Jones has brought in several sports psychologists to help change the mindset within the squad.
Asked whether the psychological impact of several defeats in 2023 (the Wallabies have won just one of seven Tests) could do more harm than good, Jones said he would accept the ramifications if the move to turn to youth didn’t pay off and wasn’t supported long-term.
“I made a decision to go for a young team, and if that’s the wrong decision then I’ll be held accountable for that,” he said.
“But I think Australian rugby needs to move on to a younger team and I’m prepared to experience some pain to go through to leave Australia with a team that is capable of doing really well at a World Cup.
“And it’s not to say we can’t do that, we’ve had a bit of a setback today, but that’s all part of being at a World Cup. I do remember South Africa lost a game and won the World Cup, so funnier things have happened.”
After taking responsibility for the loss to Fiji on Sunday, Jones once again chose to put himself up in front of the media first thing on Monday morning.
By doing so, he put himself front and centre and shielded his wider support staff of answering questions.
Asked whether he had watched the replay and picked up anything new in the cold light of day, Jones admitted he had.
“I have had enough time to look at it. I woke up in the morning hoping the result was different but it was still the same,” he said.
“It reinforced initial impressions that we got knocked off our kilter the first 30 minutes of the game and were never really able to recover until the last 30.
“I thought our young finishing bench did really well and put us in a position to win the game and we weren’t quite good enough.”
Eddie Jones says the Wallabies needed a reset – even if there’s some knocks along the way. (Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images)
Jones said the defeat to Fiji was a “harsh learning experience” and that his attention had quickly turned to facing Warren Gatland’s Welsh side, who currently sit atop Pool C on 10 points – four points clear of the Wallabies and Fiji after two matches.
“We’re moving on to Wales now. This is the best coaching week, best playing week. These are the weeks you remember when you are under the pump quite a lot and you have got to produce a good performance,” Jones said.
Having fallen short to a Fijian side who took the points when on offer and scored just one try from a terrible mix up at the back from the Wallabies’ back, Jones said Wales would represent a different threat.
“Wales are a completely different team. They grind away at you whereas Fiji is power,” he said.
“The surprising thing about getting beaten by Fiji is that we scored two tries to one and their try came from an innocuous kick that we failed to handle.
“This is one of the biggest challenges for this team and personally for the coaching staff. We know how we want to play against Wales and we are going to work really hard to get the players back on track.
“When you have a loss like this it knocks you around a bit. It knocks you emotionally and team ethics wise. You start seeing shadows in every corner of the room.
“There is noise from outside which you have to handle. That’s the challenge for the coaching staff this week, to make sure they have got the right noise.”
Meanwhile, Jones will be without his back-up hooker Jordan Uelese after suffering a concussion during the second half against Fiji.
Uelese’s scrummaging strength was hoped to be useful against Fiji, particularly in the absence of tight-head prop Taniela Tupou (hamstring) and lock Will Skelton (calf).
His unavailability will mean Matt Faessler will return a week after some jitters at the throw against Georgia.
In better news, Tate McDermott is expected to return after recovering from his own concussion.
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.