So, Eddie Jones is staying on as the Wallabies’ coach, at least for now. That being the case, there are some questions that need to be asked.
First of all, there is the issue of Japan. The Sydney Morning Herald ran a story, and continues to refer to it, stating Jones was in contact with Japanese rugby officials about the possibility of his coaching the Brave Blossoms. Jones seems to deny this, although not strenuously enough for my liking. Still, it raises the question of his commitment to what is going to be a very difficult gig in the next few years.
The next question that comes to my mind is, if he is the best coach in world rugby as suggested by Hamish McLennan, then why did England sack him as their coach with just a year to go before the Rugby World Cup? Given England’s success so far at the RWC, perhaps this was a masterstroke. However, the question remains: why did they sack him?
Wallabies coach Eddie Jones. (Photo by Hannah Peters/Getty Images)
Also, why were the Wallabies so Ill-prepared for the RWC? Surely there was enough time to build some sort of cohesion, and yet the players look like they were meeting each other for the first time and their lack of coherence makes me wonder what on earth they were doing in the months of preparation.
Why was Jones allowed to make selection calls that were clearly risky at best, and downright reckless as it turned out? Who is going to moderate the selection of players who are clearly not ready for the level they have been selected to play at, while leaving out experienced players who would have at least brought some sort of wisdom and calmness to a jittery outfit?
Why was Will Skelton selected as captain? Here is a player who turned his back on Australian rugby, perhaps understandably for his own financial security. So do we reward this with the captaincy amongst a group of players who may well have barely known him? That seems to me to be demeaning to the position as well as disruptive to the team.
Could anybody discern a pattern of play that had been developed for the World Cup? Even in the fixtures against Georgia and Portugal, where the pressure was slightly less than in the matches against Wales and Fiji, I could not perceive what the team was trying to achieve.
Wallabies captain Will Skelton with the squad after their World Cup loss to Wales. (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)
There did not seem to be a plan or pattern that was building in the decisions that were being taken at any one time. There was no fundamental aim or objective that I could clearly understand. Perhaps it was so nuanced that I missed it.
Why do assistant coaches not stick with Jones? Is he so demanding and lacking in respect for those who are working with him that they do not remain loyal? Some very competent and astute people have left Jones’ stable while he has been in charge, wherever he has been the boss.
The reduced stability after the disastrous sacking of Dave Rennie had to be a factor in the failure of the World Cup mission. To lose Dan McKellar to English rugby was a significant loss to the cause. Hopefully it will only be temporary.
Why must Jones treat journalists with such disdain during press conferences when they ask questions that everybody would like to know the answer to? Is it useful for him to give offhand answers that have not been thought through and do not provide the information that would suggest otherwise?
All did not bode well when just before jetting out to France, Jones declared the airport press conference as the worst ever. Surely journalists, as annoying as they may be, deserve greater consideration.
There are probably other were the questions, but answering these would help me understand why Jones is staying on. Perhaps Hamish McLennan could answer them because it seems he was instrumental in this disaster.
K.F.T.D.
Roar Rookie
Another quote from the bard- Dude where is my car?
Just Nuisance
Roar Rookie
Sorry dude ..Just edited my post ..
Just Nuisance
Roar Rookie
Somthing is indeed Rotten in The State of Denmark ….But my all time favourite William Shakespeare quote ( by the way his name directly translated to Afrikaans is Willem Wikkelspies :stoked: dont mistranslate it please) ..anyway this applies to Jones and McClelland…” The fault dear Brutus lies not in the stars but in ourselves, that we are the underlings ..” …Was as a young man my go to impress line with the chicks…Worked too. :laughing:
K.F.T.D.
Roar Rookie
Journalists put up with it. We’re bullied and lay down. What is that? , or he would walk out. Something wrong there.
Ken Catchpole's Other Leg
Roar Guru
I only have one question. And it’s to Hamish. What was the dinner menu on that beautiful and eventful evening in Lavender Bay?
SammyH
Roar Rookie
agreed – eddie seems to put everyone offside – he can’t seem to get anyone onside unless they are completely loyal to his exact instructions. Which is probably why no decent assistant coaches want to work with him. And when things don’t go to ‘plan’ on the field (and nothing ever goes to plan in rugby) the players seem afraid to go with their instinct almost like they have forgotten how to play. Probably afraid if they don’t follow EJs exact instructions they are dropped the next week
Just Nuisance
Roar Rookie
These questions I believe are very important ..Jones major calls were all so obviously reckless ....Team selections and coaching staff appointments all swayed towards inexperience .....That it was motivated by Eddie not wishing to be challenged within his own circles is blatant ...In other words .Me first ...Australian Rugby second....His press conferences simply underlined this ..They revealed a man who does not like to be questioned ..... A fatal flaw for a coach .
K.F.T.D.
Roar Rookie
I believe he was the sixth choice.
K.F.T.D.
Roar Rookie
Was that a ‘NO’.
Jazz
Roar Rookie
Totally agree with 100% JJ on all but one, I believe Will Skelton was the best choice for captain, he's matured completely since he left to overseas and that goes the same for Michael Hooper, he left to go overseas and yet rewarded a WB position, but at the same time i believe he matured much better since he returned, i do think players need to experience this themselves from another angle, but! the cohesion needs to be there before international season begins...
Pops
Roar Rookie
Eddie unchecked was clearly a disaster. The squad he picked was a gamble that ignored form and experience in favor of youth; It was NOT the best side Australia had to offer. But for all that Eddie is passionate about rugby and values his roots in the Australian game - so he could come good if he is given the time and properly supported. I think a good start would be a panel of previous (and successful) Wallabies coaches - including Eddie himself, reviewing the whole campaign and undertaking a critical evaluation of everything - what went wrong but also what went right. I think Skelton was a brilliant pick for Captain for instance - he led from the front and had a 'voice' everybody listened to. The problem was he also went down injured early on - which brings me to my second major concern about S & C programs in Australia !! There has always been injuries in rugby union - it' a contact sport after all. However I cannot remember so many players going down injured with hamstring strains and ruptured achilles tendons etc as has happened over the last 12 to 18 months. For me if points to an imbalance between S & C and flexibility / resilience training. I used to be a fairly useful sprinter back in the day and played rugby for 2 decades - so I did a lot of training, but I never saw a program that gave proper emphasis to flexibility. I am also an accredited Yoga Teacher so that is something I do know a lot about. My other major question mark is the coaching - or lack of effective coaching perhaps. Eddie's love affair with League coaches is well known but I seriously doubt they are readily inter-changeable!! Comparing League to Union is like comparing Drafts to Chess - no real comparison. Probably why union players can adapt pretty quickly to League - but League players need a lot more time to adapt to the complexities of Union. One last thing - we lost lost a couple of close matches we might have won IF we had played to our strengths; by which I mean ball in hand and running at the opposition. Australia has some great running backs - so why did we keep kicking the ball away with the clock ticking down? Sheer bloody stupidity.
southcoastboy
Roar Rookie
All these questions are valid, except for one: I think Will Skelton surprised and impressed a lot of Wallabies fans in his albeit brief stint as captain. yes, he plays overseas but that's the reality of rugby in Australia - as you mentioned he did it for personal/financial reasons and we can't begrudge him that. Having said that, and as above, all those questions still need answering - I especially think the one regarding team selection; Eddie needs a selection board to 'control' him (for want of a better description) if he's staying on. Playing people out of position in key roles, at a RWC, is just madness.
Steve 50
Roar Rookie
Eddie was being selfish and has destabilised the team eg looking for a plan B if sacked . He must of worried about getting sacked pre World Cup. Polite thing to do was wait to November if he wants other jobs
Hughi
Roar Rookie
I find Eddie very interesting. He has a weird ability to make more questions than he answers. In May he said he would leave at the end of the WC. In the latest press conference, he said he was leaving Australian rugby in a better place. Why in the past tense? Maybe he needs a good night’s sleep, I don’t know, one point you make about the team’s performance is that they had no cohesion, I would add that, they looked lost and mechanical trying to copy training. Just my impression and to qualify it I have no expertise other than club level 45 years ago. The interesting thing I find about Eddie staying is no I don’t think he should. There are some faults in his actions. Number 10 regardless of leaving Cooper out Gordon would need to be backed up and supported somehow. Captains, was it just a lucky number from a hat? Okay choose a young team but supply some sort of consistent leadership. He failed the pub test on Japan for one reason, he didn’t put it to bed immediately, so if he is now staying he didn’t get the gig or he has withdrawn his application, or my favorite he got the job just waiting to get sacked. I don’t agree with changing the coach all the time except in this case. He hasn’t performed on any real level, no wins, no cohesion, no bedside manner in interviews, no killing the Japan story, and no experience-based support for young players. We need a fresh start.
Jack
Roar Rookie
Jones has proven that he is a very poor selector and shifts his justification when his selections fail to deliver. The development squad post fail is so transport as to be laughable. Vanity selections seemingly to prove that he has insights others lack. Will he apologise to the players who told they were never good enough or are they forever no-selectable? Will super form ever be a selection criteria again or will special insight or developing for 2030 be a perennial excuse? Most importantly will someone at the ARU tell Jones that his disrespect and hostility towards journalists is actually directed towards the fans who pay his wages.
signpost
Roar Rookie
Amen