Eddie Jones: 'I am a much better coach than I was this time last year'
Eddie Jones’ time with the Wallabies and Rugby Australia officially ends on November 25, but the coach won’t be waiting until then to field offers for his services in 2024.
And it won’t be the Eddie of old his next employer lands, with the stinging reality of Australia’s first-ever Rugby World Cup pool stage exit fresh in mind, Jones claims to be much better for his 2023 experience.
It was a 2023 that couldn’t have gone much worse for Rugby Australia, again struggling to make up any ground against New Zealand in Super Rugby Pacific and finishing the international season with just two wins from nine games, watching the Rugby World Cup knockout stages from home.
One of the drama’s that plagued the final fixtures of the year was rumours of Jones’ disloyalty in taking a meeting with Japan Rugby over the Brave Blossoms head coaching role that Jamie Joseph vacated at the end of the 2023 campaign.
“Obviously I want to coach,” Jones told The Australian. “I’m looking for a job now.
“If Japan did come knocking I’d definitely chat to them and I’ve had a couple of other countries approach me. There’s a club in Europe interested so I would expect by January I’ll be working again.
“Australia has been a massive disappointment for me – and all this stuff about Japan like, why would I take the youngest squad to the World Cup? So we had the youngest team in the World Cup, right, why would I do that? Why would I do that if I had no intention of staying on? I am not an idiot – I had the intention of staying on. For the play that I had, it then had to have the (high performance) system change in place otherwise we are going to have more of the same.”
Jones went on to not rule out informal contact with Japan, suggesting there was perhaps an introductory conversation between the two parties but nothing that progressed the relationship significantly.
“I’ve had no formal talks with them (Japan), everyone knows that discussions take place, like I’ve had a discussion this morning with the club, and that doesn’t mean I’m taking the job as well, that doesn’t mean I’m being disloyal to what I’m doing now,” Jones said.
“Because there’s agents in the world that are continually ringing up. They make money by connecting people. I haven’t done anything formal. I haven’t done anything untoward at all or had a formal approach in Japan … nothing’s changed in that regard.
“I’m looking for a job now, like I’m unemployed now. So yeah, I need to look for a job and if that’s a sin … then that’s a terrible thing I am doing.”
There are positions open at the international and club level; the aforementioned Japan role as well as a Top 14 opportunity may be the best suited to Jones’ pockets, but the United States of America, Fiji and Tonga also hold outside odds on securing the 63-year-old’s services.
Jones was the eldest statesman of his Tier one counterparts at the recent Rugby World Cup, but insists – despite the historically disappointing year – that like a fine wine, he’s only improving with age.
“As I’ve got the energy to do it, I’ll keep doing (coaching),” he said. “But as you know, in terms of experience and learning, the older you get, the better coach you are.
“I am a much better coach than I was this time last year. I’ve learnt a lot from Australia. I’ve learned some things I shouldn’t have done, some things I didn’t do well and I’ll be a better coach in the next job that I do.”
Comments on RugbyPass
guys 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!
1 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?
227 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
227 Go to commentsWould’ve, could’ve, should’ve, didn’t.
227 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 commentsCan’t wait for the article that talks about misogyny in Ireland. Somehow.
19 Go to comments