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LYON – As the Wallabies crashed to a historic maiden World Cup pool exit on Sunday, Eddie Jones says he is “committed to coaching Australia” despite refusing to say whether he interviewed to take over Japan following the Rugby World Cup.
A report in the Sydney Morning Herald on Sunday claimed that Jones had interviewed with the Japan Rugby Football Union to take over from Jamie Joseph two weeks before the Wallabies’ World Cup opener in France.
The report came mere weeks after Jones had described a separate report coming out of Japan linking him to the post as “bullshit and gossip”.
Eddie Jones has denied wanting to walk out on the Wallabies, as Australia’s World Cup campaign blew up in smoke at Parc Olympique on September 24, 2023 in Lyon. (Photo by Hannah Peters/Getty Images)
Rugby Australia chief executive Phil Waugh told reporters ahead of the Wallabies’ embarrassing 40-6 loss to Wales that he was taking Jones’ word that the veteran coach had not interviewed for the position.
“I’ve taken Eddie for what he said and the fact that he’s denied it,” Waugh told reporters in Lyon on Sunday afternoon.
“I take people for their word and that’s what I’ve been told, and so we move forward.
“I’m certainly not going to get into the game of speculating who’s having conversations with who. I think it’s just really important now to get behind the guys tonight and hopefully keep progressing through the tournament.”
Asked specifically whether he had interviewed for the Japan role, Jones denied all knowledge of speaking with the rival union.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, mate,” he said.
Probed whether he had a second interview lined up, Jones again denied all knowledge of the report.
He added: “I’m committed to coach Australia.”
Wallabies players, including acting captain Dave Porecki, said they were none the wiser about the report and added the subject had not been addressed ahead of their do-or-die World Cup Pool C fixture.
“I don’t think many of the boys were aware of anything, to be honest,” Porecki said.
“We got a good week or prep, probably our best week of prep and we didn’t turn up tonight.
“It’s [the result] got nothing to do with the outside noise, it’s just got to do with our performance and we weren’t good enough.”
Eddie Jones denied knowledge of a secret zoom meeting with Japan rugby officials at his press conference following the Wallabies’ loss to Wales at Parc Olympique on September 24, 2023 in Lyon. (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)
Jones, whose work ethic is considered second to none, said he disappointed to see his commitment questioned.
“I really take umbrage at the questioning that people are questioning my commitment to coaching Australia. I really take umbrage at it,” he said.
“I’ve been working nonstop since I’ve come in. And I apologise for the results. I keep saying that. But questioning my commitment to the job I think is a bit red hot.
“So, we’re not going to deal with any of those questions any further. I’m happy to talk about Wales, I’m happy to talk about Portugal [the Wallabies’ next pool opponents], but if you want to keep going down that line, I’ll excuse myself.”
The Wallabies remain a mathematical chance to progress into the quarter-finals, but they would require Fiji to lose both their remaining two fixtures to Georgia and Portugal, who both sit outside the top 10 on World Rugby’s rankings. The Wallabies would have to also win their final fixture with a bonus point.
Whether Rugby Australia sacks Jones remains to be seen after their worst result at a World Cup, with the Wallabies coach winning just one from eight Tests since being parachuted into the role at Dave Rennie’s expense in January.
Jones insisted he was the right person to turn the Wallabies around.
“Well, that’s not my judgment. That’s the judgment of Rugby Australia,” Jones said.
“I think I’ve got the ability to turn things around.
“I was hoping we’d be able to do it by now, but we haven’t been out to and, as I said, I take full responsibility for it. I haven’t done a good enough job and I’m bloody disappointed about that.
“I came back to Australia to try and help. At the moment I’m not giving much help, am I? But that doesn’t mean my commitment to help has changed.
“I’m a proud Australian and I hate to see Australian rugby do as poorly as we’ve been doing, particularly under my reign, I came back to try and help.
“There’s not only the Wallabies we’ve got to improve, we’ve got to improve the whole system in Australian rugby. That’s not an excuse, but we’ve got to have a really good look at ourselves and see what we’ve got to do to improve the way we’re going about our rugby.”
The Wallabies react following their World Cup loss to Wales at Parc Olympique on September 24, 2023 in Lyon. (Photo by Craig Mercer/MB Media/Getty Images)
Jones’ Wallabies were the youngest squad at this year’s World Cup, with the veteran coach brutally not selecting Michael Hooper – the nation’s most capped captain – and experienced playmakers Quade Cooper and Bernard Foley.
Foley, who featured at the past two World Cups and this year led Kubota to the Japanese League One title, tweeted following the Wallabies’ loss that “It didn’t have to be like this”.
However, Jones insisted he made the right call by backing the next generation of Wallabies.
“I was put in this job to turn Australia around and I don’t think I could have done it with the players that had been playing. I think we needed a fresh change,” he said.
“Sure, the young guys struggled in the environment today but unless they get that experience they’re not going to mature into the players they can be.
“This is the most painful time, don’t get me wrong, but it’s also the best learning time for a young team and young players. This is where they really learn about the game and they learn what you’ve got to be at Test level.
“There’s not a team I haven’t coached that hasn’t gone through before at the start of their tenure. It just happens to be quite a big environment which makes it very painful.”
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.