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‘I’d look out’: Eddie Jones’ warning for All Blacks ahead of Bledisloe I
The Wallabies may have fallen to their second consecutive loss in as many starts on Saturday night, but it didn’t stop coach Eddie Jones from firing a shot at the All Blacks.
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Following months of hype and new-found belief, Australia ushered in their new era under coach Jones with a disastrous defeat to South Africa in Pretoria last weekend.
Other than an early try to world-class winger Marika Koroibete, the men in gold were never in the fight. If this was boxing, the coaching staff would’ve had no choice but to throw in the towel.
But a week is a long time in Test rugby. Once the dust had settled on that staggering 31-point defeat, the Wallabies shifted their focus to their first test on Australian soil this year.
The Wallabies were better without being great against Argentina in Sydney, and looked to have won the Test after a late try to rising star Mark Nawaqanitawase.
But Pumas backrower Juan Martin Gonzalez broke Australian hearts with a try at the death, which handed the visitors a 21-24 victory.
Earlier, the All Blacks sent another statement to the rugby world – backing up their big win over Argentina in Mendoza – with a 35-20 demolition of world champions South Africa in Auckland.
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The Wallabies and All Blacks appear to be tracking in two very different direction, but it didn’t stop coach Jones from throwing a quick jab ahead of Bledisloe One later this month.
“In the first two games we scored two super tries early in the game and we move the ball with fluency and quickly, which is how we want to play,” Jones told reporters after the three-point defeat.
“But we’re not able to sustain that at the moment. I could give you a fantastic, plausible reason but you’re not going to believe it so I’m not going to give it to you.
“Whilst it seems like it’s doom and goom at the moment, it’s not.
“(There’s) a fair bit of optimism that we’ll be able to change fairly quickly in the next couple of weeks. If I was the All Blacks I’d look out.”
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This was Australia’s first home Test of the year, but it didn’t feel like it at times.
There were plenty of fans at CommBank Stadium, with a sea of gold stretching as far as the eye could see – but a small pocket of Argentine fans made their voices heard.
The passionate Los Pumas supporters were chanting, cheering and singing throughout the contest. It was quite different to the stunned crowd in Mendoza last weekend, who were actually quite quiet.
Australian centre Len Ikitau managed to silence those fans though, if only for a moment, with the opening try of the contest inside the opening 10 minutes.
The Wallabies looked to take some control of the clash, but the visitors were hungry.
Ikitau went off injured which forced an unexpected backline reshuffled – Melbourne Rebels flyhalf Carter Gordon came on at inside centre – and a yellow card to Richie Arnold was another turning point.
Fast forward to the end of the Test, and with just a few minutes left on the clock, it was a four-point game.
But Australia’s poor discipline cost them once again as Los Pumas marching down the field.
The winning score in the 79th minute sent the passionate crowd of Argentine fans into a frenzy. Just when you thought they couldn’t get any louder, they did.
Argentina celebrated as the Wallabies questioned where it all went wrong. Australia were now 0-2 to start their 2023 season, with just three more Test matches to go until the World Cup.
“We’re all really disappointed mate, we put a lot into that but we just couldn’t put enough pressure on the opposition,” Jones said.
“Every time we got into a position to put pressure (on), we either gave the ball back or didn’t defend hard enough so there’s a couple of things we need to fix, which we can fix with a lot of hard work.
“If we’re prepared to do the hard work we’ll get the fix and I’m sure the players will.”
On paper, the Wallabies face an uphill battle to even win a Test before the World Cup in France.
Australia has two Bledisloe Cup Tests coming up, and they’ll then head to Europe to take on the World Cup hosts in Paris.
But coach Jones isn’t worried – it’s not time to panic. The 63-year-old is “100 per cent confident” that the Wallabies can turn it around.
“At the moment it seems like we’re miles away from where we need to be but all of this is going to make us harder and more hungry to get it right.
“We’re a team that needs to change, we know that, and that’s the reason I’m here in the job.
“We’re not seeing the change in terms of results at the moment but we’ll see that.”
The Wallabies take on fierce rivals New Zealand in the opening Bledisloe Cup Test in Melbourne later this month. Following that clash, the men in gold will travel to Dunedin for the reverse fixture.
Comments on RugbyPass
I have heard it asked if RA is essentially one of the part owners and I suppose therefor should be on the other side of these two parties. If they purchased the rebels and guaranteed them, and are responsible enough they incur Rebels penalties, where is this line drawn? Seems rough to have to pay a penalty for something were your involvement sees you on the side of the conned party, the creditors. If the Rebels directors themselves have given the club their money, 6mil worth right, why aren’t they also listed as sitting with RA and the Tax office? And the legal threat was either way, new Rebels or defunct, I can’t see how RA assume the threat was less likely enough to warrant comment about it in this article. Surely RA ignore that and only worry about whether they can defend it or not, which they have reported as being comfortable with. So in effect wouldn’t it be more accurate to say there is no further legal threat (or worry) in denying the deal. Unless the directors have reneged on that. > Returns of a Japanese team or even Argentinean side, the Jaguares, were said to be on the cards, as were the ideas of standing up brand new teams in Hawaii or even Los Angeles – crazy ideas that seemingly forgot the time zone issues often cited as a turn-off for viewers when the competition contained teams from South Africa. Those timezones are great for SR and are what will probably be needed to unlock its future (cant see it remaining without _atleast _help from Aus), day games here are night games on the West Coast of america, were potential viewers triple, win win. With one of the best and easiest ways to unlock that being to play games or a host a team there. Less good the further across Aus you get though. Jaguares wouldn’t be the same Jaguares, but I still would think it’s better having them than keeping the Rebels. The other options aren’t really realistic 25’ options, no. From reading this authors last article I think if the new board can get the investment they seem to be confident in, you keeping them simply for the amount of money they’ll be investing in the game. Then ditch them later if they’re not good enough without such a high budget. Use them to get Jaguares reintergration stronger, with more key players on board, and have success drive success.
11 Go to commentsYeah, and ours is waaay bigger than yours. Just as you's get a semi…oh hold on that never happens
34 Go to commentsLove watching
1 Go to commentsThe Melbourne Rebels lineout is a complete disaster so not surprisingly a kiwi coach of the Wallabies hires the worst lineout coach in the country and a foreigner to boot. No surprises whatsoever here…….
3 Go to commentsThank your for wasting 2 minutes of my life Daniel. There is a useful message in there somewhere but your delivery sucks.
7 Go to commentsBen Smith, you are cry baby
214 Go to commentsSux that homophobia is still a thing though. I wonder how many players who could have become legends never kept playing rugby because they felt unwelcome.
7 Go to commentsCrazy he’s only 28, feel like he’s been around forever - don’t mind the move, safe pair of hands and creates depth in a thin position for ABs. Hopefully aides Kemara’s growth also without thrusting too much responsibility on him
1 Go to commentsMen should show strength and be mean, but they should be able to show emotion to those close yo them in certain times, birth of your child, death of family, proud moment. This article is stupid
7 Go to commentsWhat a weak article…absolute drivel and clickbait, well done. Will stick to rugby365 thanks
7 Go to commentsHonest, discipline, humility… Priceless.
2 Go to commentsSo many excuses. No mention of the SA number 2 being taken out illegally in the 2nd minute. That act of foul play had a massive impact on the SA game. Face it, NZ play pretty dirty very regularly, and it’s only since 2016 they’ve been held to higher officiating standards via stricter officiating and TMO reviews. They deserved to have a man down. Sorry. Fix the yellow and red cards and NZ will win more RWCs. Plus, there WAS a knock on invalidating the one try, so it was NOT a try. Period. Here’s a Kleenex…
214 Go to commentsOverheard conversation between NZ and SA rugby fans everywhere: We’re the greatest! No! we’re the greatest! We’re the greatest! No we’re the greatest! Ireland are arrogant! True but they beat you! We’re the greatest! No! we’re the greatest! Etc. etc, etc.
34 Go to commentsTypical crap Aussie weather
11 Go to comments“If they’d have beaten England, I still feel we would have been talking ‘is this the best team ever,’ ‘is this the best team that’s ever played in the Six Nations'” he said. “I still think they’re not quite that good. I actually don’t think they’re that good.” So Trimble is saying he doesn’t think this is the best 6N team of all time. He is silent on if it is the best Irish team of all time. Can’t disagree with him. Just another misrepresentative clickbait headline from the guys at RP.
34 Go to commentsWow, do we really still have to listen to all the excuses and “unfairness” of it all. Even blaming the bounce of an egg shaped ball for the loss. But the article is about context, so what about the Springboks having to play the other 5 teams in the top 6 and still beating a comparatively rested AB team on a very empty tank.
214 Go to comments“Teams would generally have three coaches below their head honcho; attack coach, defence coach, forwards coach” do they? I’m not sure what the NZ set up is tbh, but the other 4 sides top 5 sides all have very different structures to the one outlined in the article! As well as attack, defence, and forwards coaches, SA, Ireland, and France also have specialist scrum coaches. England have a specialist scrum coach too, but arguably don’t have a forwards coach, with that role taken on by Borthwick. SA also have a backs coach in addition to defence and attack, and Ireland and England have fitness coaches, with England also having two skills coaches.
3 Go to commentsWorst article I've read in a while. Trying to disguise a backhand slap as a compliment. The whole article is a bit weird and negative. I think South African men are emotional in general… think Clad le Clos’s father 2012 London Olympics.
7 Go to commentsIreland are going to win the world cup.
34 Go to commentsIt was the strangest result ever. Etzebeth should've been yellow card for his cynical retiring move and a penalty try. Birth second half tries by the Allblacks were fantastic and the TMO operating outside the law to rule out the first try was egregious. Yes, the boks got the win but it was through some bizarre officiating that allowed them to sneak home against 14 men that dominated them. The quieter Bok supporters know and acknowledge the Allblacks were the better and dominant side. Justifying the win because they beat a pre world cup Allblacks selection is silly.
214 Go to comments