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SAINT ETIENNE – Wallabies coach Eddie Jones says he’s to blame for the double injury blow that rocked the team before the loss to Fiji and from which they never recovered.
The Wallabies had three days off after beating Portugal to end their pool campaign and have been back in training at Saint Etienne. Thursday’s session was energetic and upbeat and Jones – used to big crowds – spoke to just five reporters, less than a quarter of the travelling pack that usually turned up for the Wallabies’ team announcements throughout the campaign.
Reflecting on the likely exit – with Portugal needing a massive upset against Fiji to see the Wallabies continue – the coach said the injuries of his two star forwards – Taniela Tupou and Will Skelton – rather than his squad selection based on youth, had cost the team significantly.
He also bemoaned a moment in the Fiji game where rookie fly-half Carter Gordon failed to come and claim a high kick and Fiji ran away to score as a potential turning point.
“The biggest loss we had in this tournament was losing Taniela and Will in one session and I blame myself for that. Just didn’t get it right, the session,” said Jones, although a team spokesman later clarified the pair were injured on different days in the same week leading into the Fiji match.
Eddie Jones says his only regret during the Wallabies’ 2023 World Cup campaign is the training sessions throughout the week that led to injuries to Taniela Tupou and Will Skelton. (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)
Neither have played since and trained together apart from the rest of the squad on Thursday.
“So yeah, I would have changed that definitely. It’s just, you never know with injuries, but could we have done it a little bit differently? I keep thinking about that, to minimise the risk of injury,” Jones said.
“And there’s just an order of training and the way you train. I’ll hold my hand up, mate.”
Jones didn’t want to elaborate further on specifics of the sessions, but he was defended by Skelton, who interjected.
“If you look back on a week that we’ve had or that we’ve had in the past, you can look at anything. If I had a half an hour more sleep, if I drank a litre more water. I think those things are uncontrollable,” said Skelton.
“Those things happen and that’s rugby. Injuries happen during the week, in games, so who’s to say that I wouldn’t have got injured on the weekend against Fiji.”
But Jones acknowledged the double blow had sent “shockwaves” through the squad. The coach had looked filthy on the day Skelton’s injury was revealed, but kept up a charade that his skipper might play right up until an hour before the kick-off against the Fijians.
“Yeah, but we’ve got to be good enough to cope with that. That definitely was the case,” Jones admitted.
“And with a younger team, that’s always the case. But again, they’re the challenges of being a good team, you know, the world’s best teams cope with that, they get on with it and we’re not quite there yet.
“That’s the challenge for us, to fill that gap to be able to cope with those situations. Anyone drops out we’re right to go.”
Jones defended the team’s strength and conditioning program despite a high level of injuries. As well as the loss of Tupou and Skelton the Wallabies have lost Gordon, Nick Frost and Max Jorgensen to injury.
“I think our S&C has been first-class,” said Jones. “If you look at the objective data at the moment of our injury rate compared to previous Wallaby teams, I think it sits fairly favourable.”
Jones has continued to push talk of his future down the road, saying he remains committed but expects a Rugby Australia review of the World Cup performance in November.
“I’m not worried about my career mate. It’s more about are we moving to a better position? And I think we are,” Jones said.
“The scoreboard doesn’t say that but I think we are and I’m sure most of the players would agree with that.
“Maybe not all of them, but I’m sure a majority of players would agree with that and that’s all we can do. So therefore I can not sit back comfortably and say I’ve done as good as I could – but I don’t feel any personal distress about it.
“This is part of the job and at some stage when you’re changing a team, someone has to endure this. Now it doesn’t need to be as bad as that because there’s a couple of games we should have won that we’ve lost and there are other games that we probably weren’t good enough to win.
Will Skelton looks on as he applauds fans, whilst wearing a protective boot on his left foot after injuring his calf, after the Rugby World Cup France 2023 match against Fiji at Stade Geoffroy-Guichard on September 17, 2023. (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)
“That’s the reality of it and I accept all of that.”
Jones has repeatedly defended his decision to go with a youthful team and reject the experience of some big name players.
In the case of some, there is a school of thought that he has hampered rather than accelerated some careers.
“I made the decision when I came in, I assessed the playing pool and said we need to make a change. And it was high risk. We catch one kick against Fiji and maybe we’re sitting here already qualified for the quarterfinal,” said Jones.
“They’re the small things that happened that can sometimes affect your obvious progress, but this team is going to be a good team.
“We need one or two quality players to add to it, we’re not the finished product yet but … you’re talking about 8 or 10 [young] players that have the potential to be really good Test players and now you’re talking about a team. Then you add in a few experienced players like Will, Richie Arnold, a couple of hard guys like [Samu] Kerevi and you get those guys back to their best, that’s a team that can do really well.”
Australaia’s next campaign is against Wales in mid 2024 – and Jones is unsure if he will be at the helm.
“I’ve signed the contract and I’ll do the review and then it’s up to others to decide,” Jones said. “I just stand by the fact that I take full responsibility. I feel like I’ve given the team the opportunity to get better. The results don’t show that. But I think we are.”
Eddie Jones says the Wallabies have a young side that can be a force going forward, but believes Rugby Australia must appoint a high performance manager to look after “tomorrow”. (Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images)
But what changes are required before then?
“It’s just a continuation of what we’re doing, you know, work hard, the focus on developing the Australian style of rugby, players to take more individual responsibility, the leadership group to keep growing. And in nine months time, it will be a different team,” Jones said.
Jones said he had many thoughts on the direction of the game in Australia, and would be involved in the discussions.
It has been mooted that a role “upstairs” as a performance director might suit him but Jones said he had “zero” interest in that type of role.
“Because I’m not an administrator, like I love being out on the pitch,” said Jones. “I love the game. I don’t love politics. I’m not a politician at all. Never have been, never will be.”
Rugby Australia is trying to secure a high performance manager by the end of the year. The Roar understands RA has interviewed as many as five candidates, and Jones believes the role is essential.
“There’s a need for someone to be looking after tomorrow. That’s really important,” said Jones.
“The national coach looks after today but there’s a need for someone to be strategic about planning what’s needed for Australian rugby to be sustainably successful, and that’s where you need a high performance director. What role he has with the national team is something that needs to be discussed, but definitely someone absolutely responsible for what’s happening tomorrow is absolutely vital.”
Jones believes Europe has “taken off” beyond the levels of professionalism in Australia.
“The intellect involved in the game’s growing considerably and and we’ve trailed off a little bit in that area and we need to pick it up,” said Jones. “And there’s no reason why we can’t.”
There has been plenty of noise about RA’s targeting of NRL players – with Joseph Suaalii on the way, and bitterness over the broken down pursuit of Angus Crichton.
Jones said RA need to “do both” – recruit from outside and develop their own stars.
“You need to shop at David Jones and you still need to shop at Woolworths, ” Jones said. “You need to do both because if you always shop at David Jones you run out of money pretty quickly, right?
“You’ve got to be producing at the bottom end and then cherry picking at the top end.
“And there might be one or two rugby league players that have the hunger to want to play rugby that could make a hell of a difference. Historically, we’ve seen that that has happened. you know, so there’s no reason why in the future that couldn’t happen as well.”
As for his coaching staff, their futures are either determined or will be decided in next month’s review.
So far only Neal Hatley has expressed in continuing with the Wallabies. Dan Palmer is off to Leicester, Jason Ryles is heading to Melbourne Storm and Pierre-Henry Broncan will be staying in France. Brett Hodgson has yet to comment.
“When we came in here [it was] with the understanding that it was a nine-month job, see what we can do and then everyone will sit down and have a look at what we’ve done, where we want to go and make a decision then about what we need going forward,” Jones said.
“There’ll be some sort of Rugby Australia review in November, I believe, so at the end of that, that will be the opportunity to move forward.”