COMMENT: The worst thing Rugby Australia could do after their train wreck of a World Cup campaign is to sack Eddie Jones.
Jones stuffed up. No questions about that. This was the worst year statistically of Jones’ international career.
His selection was poor and the detail missing from the Wallabies’ game was dreadful, which was likely a result of the absence of any semblance of rugby intellect, but Rugby Australia’s powerbrokers must stand firm and back Jones.
In fact, Australian rugby should celebrate Jones’ innovation.
It might have brutally backfired on the world’s biggest stage, at a point in time when Australian rugby needed something, but it was innovation from a coach who recognised that conservatism was not going to work from a Wallabies side that had slid to tier-two status over the past decade.
If Jones wanted to protect his job, he would have rolled out the same tried and tested and failed international players who between 2016 and Jones taking over had won just 42 per cent of Tests.
A quarter-final berth would likely have resulted, perhaps a semi-final, but no one remembers semi-finalists.
Robbie Deans’ Wallabies made a semi-final and he was considered hopeless by half of Australia.
Michael Cheika’s side in 2015 got a lucky break in the quarter-final and made the final and he too was considered terrible.
Only World Cup champion coaches are remembered and, having won eight straight Tests over the Wallabies with England and 10 of 11 in total, Jones knew his home nation needed change when he took over in late January.
Jones’ appointments completely backfired.
The harsh reality is that while there were several assistant coaches in Australia who have promising futures and others with still more to offer before they hang up their whistles, these same Super Rugby coaches have failed to lead a single Super Rugby side to a final.
Some have made semi-final appearances, most have missed the knockout stages altogether.
Ditto, the players representing the franchises.
With the vast majority of assistants committed to other campaigns, it’s more than likely that Jones, one of the deepest thinkers in the game with a track record of success at World Cups, believed a radical change was needed to give the Wallabies a chance of going deep in their “smash and grab” mission.
In the end it was all hat and no cattle, but it wasn’t because of a lack of innovation from a coach who has always thought about and seen the game differently to most.
Make no mistake, his plan failed. It blew up in his face in the most embarrassing moment of Jones’ career.
Indeed, the fact the Wallabies’ only tactic was to pass to Samu Kerevi in the midfield from scrums, and the monumental stuff up at the lineout when the forwards slipped over themselves despite having ample time to set up midway through the first half against Wales, showed up the side’s extraordinary lack of detail.
Jones, should he be sacked, has made a martyr of himself by ushering through change ahead of the 2025 Lions series and 2027 Rugby World Cup – the two biggest events in Australian rugby for the next two decades.
But a man who has led two nations to World Cup finals, including as recently as 2019 with a side who bombed out in the pool stage four years earlier, won one as an assistant with the Springboks in 2007, hasn’t become a bad coach overnight.
Rugby Australia has a history of chewing up and spitting out its coaches.
Simon Raiwalui and Mick Byrne barely received a phone call following the 2019 quarter-final defeat to Jones’ England in Japan.
It took months for them to know they had no place in Australian rugby.
Both men were architects of the Wallabies’ demise earlier this month, with Raiwalui the head coach of Fiji and Byrne the Fiji Drua’s head coach.
Daryl Gibson, another person who might have struggled as a head coach but was considered a brilliant assistant coach, is Raiwalui’s assistant with Fiji.
Another, Brad Harris, will return to Australian rugby next year but helped the Fijians to Olympic gold in 2021 and is also an assistant with Fiji.
Cheika, who coached the Wallabies for five years, is Argentina’s coach and has led Los Pumas to back-to-back wins over Australia. He was also an assistant in 2020 when they had consecutive draws against them despite being locked in hotels for weeks upon weeks during the Covid pandemic, too.
The only two times Andy Friend has been sacked has been when he’s coached in Australian rugby.
David Nucifora, Ireland’s head of high performance, was also sacked in 2004 despite leading the Brumbies to Super Rugby glory.
Rugby Australia doesn’t need a review from people in suits who know little about the game.
The governing body needs to find rugby solutions to the game’s problems.
That doesn’t mean farewelling coaches in a hot second.
It means a fundamental look at empowering coaches, upskilling players and focussing on the thousands of young players emerging in high school and ensuring they don’t get lost to rugby league.
It needs the current crop of players getting back into not just club rugby but school rugby and mentoring kids so that the next Joseph Suaalii’s turn down advances from the NRL because they have a deep attachment to the Wallabies and those who represent Australia on the global stage.
Once upon a time the Andy Friends and Andrew Blades and Darren Colemans went through the Australian Institute of Sport and began their coaching craft and they believed coaching was a genuine option in Australian rugby.
Now many are turning their backs and looking elsewhere because they know they will get chewed up and spat out.
What RA – and the states who could overthrow the board – must do is support Jones and his vision.
Scar82
Roar Rookie
His delusional old Eddie. To say his side still has a chance is disrespect to the wallabies,the IRB and the world cup itself. Like if that was all to happen does he really think that Australia even deserve a spot in the world cup with the crap that they have shown us this year. Like the players that weren't selected my hat goes to them for the discipline and respect for the way they showed in the comments by being upset but stood by the decisions and wished the teams well. Players like Pete samu, hooper and who ever the rest that weren't even mentioned was probably to sour. I mean Mr fix it like Hodge I would have taken to cover every position in that team including prop lmao
Scar82
Roar Rookie
True but I just feel instead of taking a coach who was removed like back in 2006 and give him his job back in 2023 why wait that long for something to happen like that again. It would make those like I said in charge eat their humble pie. I am sad for the state of our game from the men's to the women's national sides.
John Fickert
Roar Rookie
Probably is the wrong thing to do but he should never have been appointed before the RWC anyway. Rennie was on the right path and only lost by a few points to #1 and 2 in the world on the spring tour. Hamish panicked and Eddie is selfish.
inyo52959178
Roar Rookie
Then why did they sack him???
Cec
Roar Rookie
Everyone is improving except WB!
Khun Phil
Roar Rookie
As usual,Cec,don't come on here quoting facts!This whole thing about the loss to Italy being the last straw for Rennie is absolutely ridiculous.We all could see that he had no choice putting out a team like that if we wanted to have any chance of competing with Ireland.What would have happened if Donaldson had kicked the goal?Would all the critics then be happy with the win? Italy actually competed very well in the last 6 Nations,so they are not exactly easy beats. How are all those knockers now going to rate Eddie after a loss to Fiji?By the way,they are now a very credible opposition too.
Gepetto
Roar Rookie
Eddy rang the Japanese rugby organization because he knew he was bereft of everything required to coach the Wallabies to victory. Portugal's rugby team has a shot at legend status.
JohnnyOnTheSpot
Roar Rookie
I asked ChatGPT… try it.
JohnnyOnTheSpot
Roar Rookie
Works well (through necessity) at grass roots level... worth a try. Would the Dad's also then have to referee as well?
Frank from Geebung
Roar Rookie
We’ve got to beat Portugal yet. We’re no good things
Frank from Geebung
Roar Rookie
Yeah, I reckon so ….. sad indictment on rugger
Jibba Jabba
Roar Guru
Is this chrisy so called editor an AI thingie
Jibba Jabba
Roar Guru
Seriously…
Jibba Jabba
Roar Guru
Exactly right
Jibba Jabba
Roar Guru
There’s a thing called accountability.. jones and his mate HM need to go
Cec
Roar Rookie
OOE, whoa 7% win rate! Interesting stat.
Jibba Jabba
Roar Guru
You are funny biticello
Cec
Roar Rookie
C’mon BM, you know that Italy game was DRs second choice team. 5 games in 5 weeks and WB dropping off like flies. DR put in the second team for Italy to prep for IRE the following week. We just went down to IRE by 3pts and were in the fight to the end. From 2021 to now, Ed’s record vs tier 1, between his ENG & WB gig, sits at 32% and DR sits at 38% if you include the 3 draws. (DR is 42% excl. the 3 draws). DR probably would have liked to not have played 9 tests vs ABs and 4 each vs ENG, FRA and SAF. DR had a pretty strong schedule of opponents with no tier 2 games, unless you want to count 1 game vs JPN as tier 2.
Collie Flower
Roar Rookie
Hi Scar. I appreciate your opinion and mostly agree, except I don’t think it’s practical or financially feasible to reinstate the previous coaching staff. I agree with your opinions on Dave Rennie. He deserves to be Head Coach of a national side. But, for his sake, I hope he steers clear of RA. What professional coach would want to take up a role appointed by a board that has tainted its reputation with unprofessionalism, unethical behaviour, fickleness and chronic short term thinking? The RA board, especially Hamish ‘Don’t Watch’ McLennan, certainly should be held accountable. There needs to be significant changes and thoughtful planning going forward.
Wizz
Roar Rookie
Donnos dad...great idea.