'That's the reason I'm here': Defiant Eddie Jones confident Wallabies can win World Cup
A defiant Eddie Jones maintains Australia can win this year’s Rugby World Cup despite facing the very real prospect of arriving in France without a victory in 2023.
A last-gasp try to Juan Martin Gonzalez consigned the Wallabies to a dispiriting 34-31 home defeat to Argentina on Saturday night, marking the first time in history Australia have lost successive Tests to the Pumas.
The heartbreaker followed up last week’s 43-12 mauling by the understrength Springboks in South Africa.
Adding insult to injury, scans on Sunday revealed influential centre Len Ikitau will be sidelined for up to eight weeks with a fractured scapula.
“Performances like that, we won’t go far at the World Cup,” said dejected co-captain James Slipper.
Jones, though, remains “100 per cent confident” the now-eighth-ranked Wallabies can bring the Webb Ellis Cup back to Australia in October.
“At the moment, it seems like we’re miles away from where we need to be. But all this is going to make us harder and more hungry to get it right,” he said.
“We’re a team that needs to change. We know that. And that’s the reason I’m here in the job.”
After setting up Australia’s first try with a quick tap and sharp footwork, instinctive winger Mark Nawaqanitawase looked to have saved the Wallabies’ blushes with a rousing 95-metre intercept try with five minutes remaining at Commbank Stadium.
“Fantastic,” Jones said of Nawaqanitawase’s dazzling display.
“Every time he got the ball, he lit the stadium up. Kids are jumping off the edge of the seat. He’s that sort of player.”
Alas, three minutes later, the Pumas snatched victory from the jaws of defeat.
But Jones is urging fans not to lose hope 55 days out from the World Cup kick-off.
“There’s probably no-one more despondent than me. I probably ruined three radios in the coach’s box,” he said, while also confessing to “certainly sleeping less” since taking over from the sacked Dave Rennie in January and being hailed as Australian rugby’s saviour.
Jones says there’s no magic dust he can sprinkle to instantly revive the Wallabies’ fortunes.
“It was always going to be difficult if you’re coming off a base where you’ve been consistently unsuccessful for a period of time, which the results show that,” he said.
“We’re trying to change the team and also trying to change the way we play. So we’ve sort of double-whammied this, and I’m quite happy to accept that we’re not where we should be.
“But I’m also quite happy to tell you that I think we’re on the right track and we’ll get there.
“It would have been easy if I came in, take the team, pared everything back and played a really simple game.
“But that’s not going to win us a World Cup.”
Jones says the Wallabies will persevere with playing several different ways in their two coming Bledisloe Cup clashes with the All Blacks.
“We’re a bit like a broken car. I remember my first car was a Datsun 1200. You’d fix the handbrake and the next day the windscreen wipers would break, and we’re a bit like that.
“Last week our set-piece wasn’t good. This week our set-piece was good. Last week, we didn’t attack. This week we did attack, but our decision-making around the ball was poor.
“This is a bit of a process we’ve got to go through. So, whilst it seems like it’s doom and gloom at the moment, beating inside here is a fair bit of optimism that we’ll be able to change fairly quickly in the next couple of weeks.”
Comments on RugbyPass
End to end play, “THE FANS” this game was entertainment of the best. The conditions added to the spectacle.
1 Go to commentsSorry to say, but sadly the sadas were just ordinary and havilli at 10 as an abs selection just won’t cut it. He’s better suited in the centre’s and is a victim of past charge down kicks, he’s too slow under pressure. There’s better talent further north and I don’t mean dmac however I believe razor will sort him out. A feature of his presents on the park is the fact that the guys will follow him.
7 Go to commentsMarler was brilliant throughout both in the scrum and open play. His slap made virtually no contact with Ramos who milked it for a penalty when he could have been a decent sportsman and laughed it off, it was non-violent and shouldn't have been penalised. Smith failed repeatedly to kick when necessary and put up a couple of bombs into the TLS 22 that just handed back possession at key moments to the other side.
3 Go to commentsCros was outstanding and rightly awarded France TVs player of the match award. Mallia was brilliant as usual (the y is below the 6 on a UK keyboard and he deserves better than that). Level also seems to have been scored harshly as he walked the ball into touch under pressure from a Lynagh kick from well outside his own half which should never have led to a 50-22. Agree with BullShark that Dupont, while class at times, seemed to go missing for patches in the second half with props, hookers and wings frequently filling in at 9 as he couldn't get off the deck and up to the next ruck on time. A 7 by his standards at best, his kicking was also too long, too often. Kinghorn's overall contribution was worth well more than a five.
3 Go to commentsThe Harlequins team must be in minus figures. Did the reporter actually watch the game?
3 Go to commentsHow on earth did Walker escape a red card? Not dangerous? Dupont has his face in a mask earlier this season. Shocking decision. What is the point of TMOs? We had the Fassi ‘non-penalty try’ yesterday and now this.
2 Go to commentsCould have been a different result but yet again French tv able to affect the result by not showing the very clear high shot on harlequin centre if this would have been on a French player would have been on screen at least five times
3 Go to commentsAmazing. The losing team’s ratings are higher than the winning team’s. Mallia definitely didn’t deserve a y. What game were you watching? Should have got a w or an x. ADP hardly featured in that second half. At one point I wondered when he’d been subbed. Seems to me as if he gets an automatic 9 just for getting onto the team sheet.
3 Go to commentsI’m sorry. That second half was far from enthralling. It was painful to watch.
2 Go to commentsVery generous! If you’d missed the game, reading this you’d conclude that it was the Quins front row that cost them the game. Marler getting a blanket 6 for his demented contribution to the game. Puzzling.
3 Go to commentsCan’t see Toulouse beating Leinster at this rate.
7 Go to commentsADP was having a very average game until winning that penalty for Toulouse, sticking his big head in the way. “The head of God”?
7 Go to commentsHarlequins doing their best to do as little damage as possible with all the possession. Looks like they skipped catch and pass drills this week.
7 Go to commentsSeeing pictures of Jacques high-fiving it with Irish players breaks my heart. Too soon. I need more time.
1 Go to commentsquins is all over the place. The minute they get the ball they panic. Quins can still win tho just need to win all rucks otherwise just don't bother.
7 Go to commentsGreat wins for the male & female kiwi sides. Ireland not far away..
1 Go to commentsWhy is this dude getting so much coverage? Usually knobs like this get cancelled.
2 Go to commentsWow. What was that? A 3 million word meandering article about what exactly?
2 Go to commentsNice piece of writing. And yes the Sharks pulled a rabbit from the hat and were a little lucky with that penalty try that wasn’t given… however the Sharks (with their resources) should be way more consistent and should be putting teams like Claremont away for breakfast. I expect more from them and hope they kick on now.
8 Go to commentsJust what the Sharks needed to get things going in the right direction Defence on the outside really creates havoc for the whole team and needs to be addressed.
8 Go to comments