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Eddie Jones makes frank confession about his role with the Wallabies
Eddie Jones has stressed he is “100 per cent committed” to his job as Australia head coach ahead of a potential Rugby World Cup exit this weekend.
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Former England boss Jones, who has been linked to becoming Japan supremo after the tournament, has presided over a miserable campaign.
Pool C defeats to Fiji and Wales mean that Australia will make a pool-stage exit for the first time in World Cup history if Fiji claim a bonus-point win against Georgia on Saturday.
That would render Sunday’s encounter between the Wallabies and Portugal in Saint-Etienne a dead rubber in terms of Australia’s hopes of reaching the quarter-finals.
“All we can do is try to get better every day,” Jones said. “That is the only thing we can do.
“We’ve got a young squad here, I purposefully picked a young squad – I think they are the best players in Australia.
“There is no lack of desire, no lack of work ethic, no lack of spirit in the team. They are a great bunch of boys.
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“We are just not good enough at the moment, but if we keep working the way we are, we will be.
“It’s not really about me, it is about the team. My only job is to get the team prepared as well as I can.
“I am 100 per cent committed to the job, and I’ve said that previously.
“I love coaching and I love the challenge. That’s the reason I came back to Australia, because I wanted to make a difference and I apologise I haven’t made a difference, but I want to make a difference.”
Jones has made three changes for the Portugal encounter, with flanker Fraser McReight earning a start in the number seven shirt and Tom Hooper moving to blindside instead of Robert Leota.
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A new centre combination, meanwhile, sees Izaia Perese and Lalakai Foketi partnered in midfield.
Prop James Slipper will clock up an Australian record of 21 World Cup appearances, eclipsing the mark set by former scrum-half George Gregan 16 years ago.
Jones added: “If people have got a problem with results they come to me, right. And at the end of the tournament I will stand by that.
“If there needs to be a fall guy for the World Cup, then it is obviously me. When you become a head coach for a team, you take on that responsibility.
“The playing group has been absolutely fantastic, I couldn’t ask any more from them. So, therefore if there needs to be someone responsible for the performance, it’s me.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Big empty stadium does nothing for atmosphere but munster are playing well with solid performance
1 Go to commentsYes, Fiji can win the World Cup! With that belief plus their christian faith🙏 and hard work it is achievable. Great article. Ian Duncan Fiji resident 1981-84
2 Go to commentsInteresting comments about Touch. England’s hosting the Touch World Cup this year and the numbers have exploded since their last World Cup in 2019, something like 70% more teams and 40 nations taking part. And England Touch have made a big thing about how many universities are in their BUCS University Touch Championship as well as Sport England membership. Can only see this growing even more domestically as more people become aware of it
10 Go to comments“Cortez Ratima is light years ahead of anyone on current form, while TJ Perenara has also skyrocketed into contention following the unfortunate injury to the talented Cam Roigard.” At last some sanity. Hitherto so many pundits have been wittering on about Finlay Christie to the point one wondered if they were observing a FC in a parallel universe where the FC they saw wasnt just the mediocre Shayne Philpott project of Fosters hapless AB reign in the real world. Ratima, Perenara and Fakatava are the ONLY logical 9s for Razor now Roigard is crocked.
2 Go to commentsThis game was just as painful as the Hurricanes game. It was real fork-in-the-eye stuff.
2 Go to commentsNow if they could just fire the Crusaders ground PA guy who likes to play his dance music and just loves the sound of his own voice the entire game, even when play is going on. And I thought their brass band thing of a few years ago was bad.
5 Go to commentsUnfortunately when you lose by far the two form players this season in Roigard and Aumua, you're left replacing two game changing Tanks with a couple of pea-shooters. Which is also about the speed of TJs pass.
2 Go to commentsBit rich coming from the guy with zero loyalty to anyone or any team, including happily taking a players place in a league world cup squad because well, SBW wanted to play in it and thus an already named player got told he was no longer going. And airing stuff like this, which may or may not be true, doesn't exactly say you're a stand up guy either SBW. Just looking to keep his name in lights as usual.
38 Go to commentsTamati Tua. …the Taniwha NPC midfielder. Ollie Sapsford, Hawkes Bay NPC midfielder…doing well
2 Go to commentsFiji deserve to be in the rugby championship, fans love seeing the Fijian national team play, the Fijian Drua is a wonderful idea but the players can still be stolen to play for NZ and AUS…
2 Go to commentsThe first concern for this afternoon are wheather forecast…
1 Go to commentsWhy cant I watch Rugby games please?
1 Go to commentsBeautiful shot from Finau, end of story. Gutted for Shaun Stevenson though.
4 Go to commentsThe Chiefs definitely didn’t win ugly. They had the superior scrum, a dominant lineout, and their defence was excellent once the Waratahs scored their two tries (thanks to some lucky refereeing calls mind you). They put pressure on the Waratahs lineout throughout the game, and the mind boggles as to why the referee did not award a yellow card or a penalty try against the Waratahs for repeated scrum infringements on their own try line before Narawa’s first try. And the Chiefs were slick with their passing and running angles on attack. It was a dominant performance all round, even with many questionable refereeing decisions.
1 Go to commentsWasnt late. Ref 2 assistants andTMO all saw it so who are you to say it was?
4 Go to commentsAre the Brumbies playing the Blues twice in a row?
4 Go to commentsBig difference from the Saders. Forwards really muscled up and laid a solid platform. Scooter brought some steel and I liked the loosie combination. Newell has been rather disappointing this season but stepped up big time - happy also to see Franks dot down. He should do that more often! Reihana had a good game and there seems to be more flair and invention with him in the saddle. McNicoll plays well from the back and is reliable plus inventive when he joins the line. Keep it up chaps!
5 Go to comments🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
34 Go to commentsJe suis sûr que Farrell est impatient de jouer avec Lopez et Machenaud et d’être entraîné par Collazo… 🤭
1 Go to commentsAn on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
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