Eddie Jones: 'Imagine being in the first team that's beaten South Africa in Pretoria'
Eddie Jones is challenging the Wallabies to seize the moment and pen a chapter in rugby’s history books with a watershed win over the Springboks in Pretoria.
The Wallabies flew out for South Africa on Friday with Jones promising an exciting new “Australian style” ahead of the side’s first Test of the all-important World Cup year and first game under his second tenure as national coach.
Australia have lost all previous seven Tests at Loftus Versfeld stretching back to 1963, but Jones couldn’t care less ahead of the Wallabies’ latest date with destiny next Saturday.
“This is a game about us. We want to put a new standard of Wallaby rugby forward. We want to set the tone for our own campaign. It’s about us,” he said at Sydney airport.
“It’s a new team and we want to play a different way, an Australian style of rugby, and the players have bought in on it. They’re training really well so we’re looking forward to the challenge.”
Undaunted by the imposing, lung-busting challenge on the highveld, Jones is selling the season-opening Rugby Championship encounter with the world champion Springboks to his charges as “just a great opportunity”.
“Imagine being in the first team that’s beaten South Africa in Pretoria. Imagine being a part of that team,” said the master motivator.
“We’ve spoken about it since April. It’s an opportunity to create history here and we want to be the first team that does it.
“So they’ve prepared well this week. We’ve got a couple of days now where you’ve got to adjust to a different time zone so that’s important.
“Anywhere you go, it’s different and you’ve just got to be a team that adapts, finds a way to be at your best and find a way to win. Where there’s a Wallaby, there’s a way.”
While acknowledging the physical test facing the Wallabies, Jones insists busting the 60-year hoodoo in Pretoria is mostly in the head.
“Firstly you’ve got to think you can win,” he said.
“The most important thing is to have the mindset that you can win. So you’ve got to be thinking that and we’re 100 per cent committed to winning.
“And then you’ve got to execute a game plan to win enough possession, push them to the other end of the field and keep them under pressure.
“Any way you can – just get up the other end of the field. Whether you run, pass, kick, it doesn’t matter which way you get up there as long as you get up their end of the field.
“The one thing I know is it’s very hard to score from behind your try line.”
Wallabies squad members Andrew Kellaway (hamstring), Jordan Petaia (hand), Matt Philip (calf) and Langi Gleeson (leg) failed to make the trip.
“So they’ll get ready for Argentina or New Zealand, depending on their progress,” Jones said.
“But everybody else is on the plane and at this stage available for selection.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Hard to disagree with the 5 points - with the exception that Wilson should be a squad member but, depending on the other loose forward selections, is not yet a shoo-in. McReight is. Aussie is looking a lot better this year and JS has some selection options. Also, Havili’s tendency to get caught, charged down is also a liability at times but he seemed focused (mostly) and is definitely a consideration for utility back-up. Still feel Reihana is a better prospect at 1st five for Saders.
2 Go to commentsYeah nah, still not sure on Havili tbh. Even though I’m a Crusaders fan through and through I’d be stunned if Razor considers him after seeing some of the stunning talent coming through up North.
2 Go to commentsThink it was a great defensive performance by Northampton. They didn't have stage fright in the first half, the Nienaber defense smothered them. They limited Leinster to 15-3 in the first half. It could have been over by then. A great try from Leinster in the start of the second half looked to have sealed it. But Byrne missed another conversion. Northampton started trying little kicks behind the Leinster wingers. Leinster messed one and Smith brilliantly made the conversion. Leinster decided to tighten the game after Byrne missed a straight forward penalty. A few errors got NH into the 22 and they scored and converted with a few minutes left. Another brilliant steal from Lawes saw NH have a final attack which was turned over by Conan. A classic semi final. World record attendance of 82,300. Leinsters 3 week preparation warranted for this one.
1 Go to commentsJust came back from the game and the atmosphere was amazing. Players stayed afterwards for more than a hour to sign stuff and take photos with fans. Great day out.
5 Go to commentsA great game. The Sharks without Etsebeth are a shadow of the team compared to when he plays. The limitations of Some of the expensive Sharks players are being exposed. Credit to Clermont for some exhilaration play at times.
5 Go to comments100% Mr Owens. But who would want to be a referee.? It must be the most difficult job on earth.
1 Go to commentsStarts to be overdone and oversold this systematic SA narrative…which nevertheless has the merit in this case to recognise blatant refereeing mistakes in their favor
5 Go to commentsNice article. Shades of Steinbeck. They can win the final if they take the game seriously; but only if they take it seriously.
5 Go to commentsWhat 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.
5 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!
5 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?
238 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.
4 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.
90 Go to commentsI’d like to know what homoerotic events Daniel enjoyed at 8th man. I clearly missed out!
20 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 comments