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Eddie Jones on what'll decide his Wallabies future

By PA
SAINT-ETIENNE, FRANCE - OCTOBER 01: Eddie Jones, Head Coach of Australia, speaks to the media prior to the Rugby World Cup France 2023 match between Australia and Portugal at Stade Geoffroy-Guichard on October 01, 2023 in Saint-Etienne, France. (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)

Eddie Jones says it is “up to others” in terms of deciding his future as Australia head coach.

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The former England boss has overseen a miserable Rugby World Cup campaign that produced defeats against Fiji and Wales.

Fiji need one point from their final group game against Portugal on Sunday to join Wales in the quarter-finals from Pool C.

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If, as expected, Australia bow out, it would be the first time in World Cup history for them to make a pool-stage exit.

It has led to intense speculation about Jones’ role, with a Rugby Australia World Cup review likely to take place in November.

Asked during a media briefing in Saint-Etienne on Friday about wanting to stay on as head coach, Jones said: “I’ve signed a contract and I will do the (Rugby Australia) review and then it is up to others to decide.

“I just stand by the fact that I take full responsibility. I feel like I’ve given the team the opportunity to get better and, as I have repeatedly said, the results don’t show that, but I think we are.

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“I am not comfortable with the results, but I am comfortable with the way we’ve gone about this campaign, if that makes sense.

“We came in with the understanding it’s a nine-month job, see what we could do and then everyone will sit down and have a look at what we’ve done, where we want to go and make a decision then what we need going forward.

“There will be some sort of Rugby Australia review in November, I believe, so at the end of that will be the opportunity to start moving forward.”

Jones was also asked about the need for a high performance director to be appointed in the wake of Australia’s World Cup demise.

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“There is a need for someone to be looking after tomorrow. That is really important,” he added.

“You know, the national coach looks after today and there is a need for someone to be strategic about planning what is needed for Australian rugby to be sustainably successful.

“And that is where you need a high-performance director. What role he has with the national team is something that needs to be discussed, but someone absolutely responsible for what is happening tomorrow is vital.”

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cw 4 hours ago
The coaching conundrum part one: Is there a crisis Down Under?

Thanks JW for clarifying your point and totally agree. The ABs are still trying to find their mojo” - that spark of power that binds and defines them. Man the Boks certainly found theirs in Wellington! But I think it cannot be far off for ABs - my comment about two coaches was a bit glib. The key point for me is that they need first a coach or coaches that can unlock that power and for me that starts at getting the set piece right and especially the scrum and second a coach that can simplify the game plans. I am fortified in this view by NBs comment that most of the ABs tries come from the scrum or lineout - this is the structured power game we have been seeing all year. But it cannot work while the scrum is backpeddling. That has to be fixed ASAP if Robertson is going to stick to this formula. I also think it is too late in the cycle to reverse course and revert to a game based on speed and continuity. The second is just as important - keep it simple! Complex movements that require 196 cm 144 kg props to run around like 95kg flankers is never going to work over a sustained period. The 2024 Blues showed what a powerful yet simple formula can do. The 2025 Blues, with Beauden at 10 tried to be more expansive / complicated - and struggled for most of the season.

I also think that the split bench needs to reflect the game they “want” to play not follow some rote formula. For example the ABs impact bench has the biggest front row in the World with two props 195cm / 140 kg plus. But that bulk cannot succeed without the right power based second row (7, 4, 5, 6). That bulk becomes a disadvantage if they don’t have a rock solid base behind them - as both Boks showed at Eden Park and the English in London. Fresh powerful legs need to come on with them - thats why we need a 6-2 bench. And teams with this split can have players focused only on 40 minutes max of super high intensity play. Hence Robertson needs to design his team to accord with these basic physics.



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