Eddie Jones doubles down on denying Japan talks, commits to Wallabies
Eddie Jones remains committed to Australian rugby and says his full intention is to coach the Wallabies through to the home World Cup in 2027.
Speculation has been rife that Jones would walk away from his position following Australia’s dismal campaign in France, where the Wallabies failed to make the quarter-finals for the first time in 10 editions of the global showpiece.
Reports of Jones being interviewed for the Japan national job last month, just days before the start of the tournament, derailed Australia’s campaign.
Despite denying he was set to jump ship, the rumour mill continued to operate in overdrive, with speculation continuing the 63-year-old would have another Japan interview in November.
But Jones put that speculation to bed on Tuesday at a packed press conference at Coogee Oval, where he was grilled by reporters for 25 minutes.
He said he was “100 per cent” committed to staying on and again denied any links to, or talks with, Japanese rugby.
“I love working with young players,” he said.
“I loved seeing some of the young players maturing during the World Cup – and some struggled, and that is part of it.
“I love the game and I love coaching those players, 100 per cent.
“If you look at the number of players we took to the World Cup, the number of players who are still to reach their peak – players like (Fraser) McReight, (Tate) McDermott, (Ben) Donaldson, (Tom) Hooper, (Max) Jorgensen – there are a number of players there who are at the start of their international career.
“Most of them showed during the World Cup that they have enough to really go forward and be very good players for Australia.
“We throw in a few other players from around the place and we have a nucleus of a really good team.
“That is the most positive thing.”
Jones stressed that, while he wanted to remain, his position would be determined at a post-World Cup review with Rugby Australia.
RA chief Phil Waugh, who played under Jones in the 2003 World Cup final and for several other years, is on record as saying he was happy to take his former coach on his word about having not spoken with Japan.
Asked why he still believed he was the best man for the job, despite just two wins – over international minnows Portugal and Georgia – from 11 Tests in 2023, Jones said he has “the foresight to see where we need to go”.
“I’ve got the experience of being in difficult situations before,” he said.
“This is not an unusual situation. You’ve got a team that was struggling for a period of time.
“You’ve got underneath it a system that’s not supporting it. And at some stage, you bottom out.
“This is the opportunity now to change the team, as we’ve started, picking younger players with bright futures.
“We’ve got to look at the development system underneath as well. This is not a simple equation that ‘the Wallabies are bad’.
“Let’s be serious about this. The Wallabies are not where they need to be. But underneath that, we need to fix the system to go forward.
“If we can do that now, we’ve got a rosy future.”
“Sometimes, when you have changed, everyone hates change because it is uncomfortable. Everyone likes the status quo,” he said.
“And we had the courage, whether it be the right courage, to make the choice that we would go with a younger squad.
“The young squad will stand Australia in good stead.”
Comments on RugbyPass
What a sad way to end a glittering career. Somebody should tell him to delete his social media accounts and face the consequences of what he's done. Then he should slip away quietly into obscurity. This isn't likely to happen, something tells me he'll be back in The Sun / Daily Mail sooner rather than later.
2 Go to commentsguys its fine! he understands why he did what he did and has taken accountability for it; why should he have to be accountable to a court? after all he did was abuse people in person - its not as if he was engaging in _online_ abuse!
2 Go to commentsChiefs flanker Kaylum Boshier yellow-carded for collapsing the scrum as it rolled towards the line. It was a maul….
1 Go to commentsyou know, i’m a leinster fan so I want Northampton to lose and it is gonna be tuff with Cortney lawes, Alex michell and the other guys🏉 lets go leinster🏉
1 Go to commentsWelcome to the Pro ranks. Those hard teams of old do hit the sole better though. its a dog fight at the top.
6 Go to commentsCan someone fill me in please, I've read a number of Ben Smith articles now and it seems he's got something again South Africa? Surely, this game was over and done with 7 months ago. Can't we have something a bit more interesting and relevant, or is this the calibre of journalist on this site?
228 Go to commentsNot sure what the Welsh are moaning about. They’ve had far more players off England, than England have had off Wales. Guys like Josh Hathaway and Kane James will play for Wales in the end. And they’ll be fsr better players for having played in the Gallagher Premiership, than they ever would have been had they stayed mired in the shambles that is Welsh rugby.
3 Go to commentsThis is all being blown totally out of proportion. First of all, since half the Irish team isn’t Irish - it’s very likely that none of the Irish players said that at all and, thus, we’re not being arrogant. Second, since half the Irish team is Kiwi - it’s very likely the Kiwi players were predicting a NZ SA World Cup final. Which they got spot on. Good on them!
163 Go to commentsAha. An Irishman with logic! Follow the flow: - Ireland peaks with a >80% win record between 2020 and 2023. And then… - crashes out of another QF at the WC; - Beat a poor French Team; - Beat 6N wooden spoonists Italy; - Play shite against eventual wooden spoonists Wales; - Lose against the most boring, “the worst English team ever” , a team widely regarded as unable to attack; - scrape through against Scotland. This article, No - Trimble, is on the money! Except for one glaring statement: _The Springboks have a few aces in the hole in this debate being the reigning world champions and official world number ones_ There is no debate, boys and girls. There it is. In black and white. “Reigning World Champions and OFFICIAL world number ones”. Come July, the overrated Andy Farrell and this overhyped team are going to enter into a world of hurt.
86 Go to commentsI’d like to know what homoerotic events Daniel enjoyed at 8th man. I clearly missed out!
19 Go to commentsThis article is missing some detail, like some actual context or info about what led to him abusing the ref.
2 Go to comments*They used to say that football is a gentleman sport watched by hooligans and rugby is a hooligan sport watched by gentlemen. How times have changed.*
3 Go to commentsexcept ot wasnt late wasnt late at all so dont know why you all saying its late he commits early and its your fault fir not paying attention
30 Go to commentsNot sure the Bulls need another average utility back in their ranks. Chamberlain has been ok for the Sharks but is by no means an X-Factor player. Bulls bought several utility backs which they barely use. A typical example would be Henry Immelman who plays mostly Fullback. The Bulls however have rarely played him this year and he has played wing or centre. Bulls want to build depth but seems like they have too many surplus players
1 Go to commentsABs lost against a side playing without a hooker - The guy playing, had one shoulder. Line outs were a gimme for the ABs, and the last 8 minutes 14 played 14 against a team that had been smashed 3 weeks in a row… Yet with all that possession, with all that territory, with all the advantages they actually had, especially in the last 8 minutes, they couldn’t buy a point. Those last 8 minutes determined if they outplayed the Boks or not. History will show that the Boks completely outplayed the ABs, especially in those last 8 minutes, the business end of any rugby match
228 Go to commentsWould’ve, could’ve, should’ve, didn’t.
228 Go to commentsKok will become a fan favourite
1 Go to commentsI am really looking forward to Leigh Halfpenny playing his first Super rugby game for the Crusaders Playing a long side his former Welsh and Scarlets team mate Johnny McNicoll.Johnny has been playing great, back in a Crusaders jersey.The attack has strengthened big time. Also looking forward to David Havili at 10. David is a class act, it also allows Dallas McLeod to remain at 12. A good thing.
1 Go to commentsIf he had stopped insisting on playing in the backrow, instead of wing, where everyone told him he should, he would have been a Bok years ago….
11 Go to comments‘Salads don’t win scrums’ 😂 I love that.
19 Go to comments