The two uncapped players who ‘really impressed’ Eddie Jones at Wallabies camp
Coach Eddie Jones has revealed the two players who “really impressed” him during the three-day Wallabies camp on the Gold Coast earlier this week.
Since signing with Rugby Australia on a five-year deal in January, legendary coach Eddie Jones has made some noise – and it’s been great for the sport Down Under.
Jones has been vocal in his desire to lure rugby league players over to the 15-player game, as well as helping the Wallabies return to their former glory.
But after months of preparation, as the 63-year-old was regularly seen in the stands at Australian Super Rugby Pacific matches, Jones had his first opportunity to coach the national team this week.
Jones, who famously led the Wallabies to a Rugby World Cup final on home soil 20 years ago, named a star-studded squad ahead of a training camp in Queensland.
The squad included an exciting mix of experience and potential, with the super coach selecting six uncapped players in his initial squad.
Rebels stars Carter Gordon and Brad Wilkin were included, along with teenager Max Jorgensen, Reds centre Josh Flook, Brumbies halfback Ryan Lonergan, and rising star Blake Schoupp.
While the Wallabies were forced into some late changes – which saw Schoupp ruled out – the camp appeared to be a success.
With this year’s Rugby World Cup just around the corner, Jones said he was particularly impressed with uncapped duo Carter Gordon and Brad Wilkin.
“Really positive mate,” Jones said on Stan Sport. “We’ve always said there’s a lot of talent here, we think there is.
“Dave Rennie has done a really good job in establishing the base of the team and now it’s the responsibility of the team to take that forward.
“Carter was good, Carter Gordon, and (Brad) Wilkins the flanker. Both of those guys really impressed.
(Max Jorgensen) He’s quiet but he certainly makes some noise when he moves.”
The squad that assembled on the Gold Coast certainly packed a punch, but a number of players were ruled out on the eve of the camp.
Wallabies Ned Hanigan, David Porecki, Len Ikitau and Darcy Swain, as well as the uncapped Blake Schoupp, missed the camp due to concussion protocols.
Backrower Pete Samu and Langi Gleeson also missed out through injury, while overseas players didn’t take part in the camp in person.
As veteran prop James Slipper discussed, the talent in Australian rugby is “awesome” at the moment.
“The talents awesome,” Slipper said. “Especially the youth coming through, we’ve seen through Super Rugby there’s a couple of players that are really putting their hand up.
“I guess that’s what you need, World Cup year, you want your best players playing for the Wallabies.
“Hopefully everyone stays fit, the overseas boys keep working hard and if you’re lucky enough to be in the squad mate, you’ll have a crack.”
Eddie Jones has some pretty big goals for the Wallabies.
The Wallabies era under Jones will officially get underway in Pretoria in July, when the men in gold take on world champions South Africa.
Australia has never won there – but Jones appears to be full of confidence ahead of their attempt at history.
On top of that, Jones has set his sights on the Bledisloe Cup and the Webb Ellis Trophy.
Comments on RugbyPass
We’re building a bridge but can't agree where the river is.
2 Go to commentsfirst no arms shoulder or helmet tackle into his rib cage is going to be so very painful even to watch. go back to RU mate.
1 Go to commentsBulls by 5. Plus another 50.
3 Go to commentsJohan Goosen avatar. Cute. Surely someone at RP knows how to do a google image search?
3 Go to commentsCan’t these games play a little earlier? Asking for a friend.
3 Go to commentsIt’s impressive that we can see huge stadiums with attendance in the 40 000 to 50 000 region. It shows how popular this competition is becoming. What is even more impressive is the massive growth in broadcast viewership. The URC is one of the two best leagues in the World, the other being the Top14.
7 Go to commentsChristie is not Sottish, like the majority of the Scotland team.
2 Go to commentsHold the phone, decline over-rated. Is it a one game, dead cat bounce or the real thing? Has the Penney dropped? Stay tuned.
45 Go to commentsTotally deserved win for the Crusaders Far smarter than the Chiefs who seem to be avoiding the basics when it matters Hotham showed them what was missing and Hannah seems a real find - a tad light but that can be fixed over time
8 Go to commentsGreat insight into the performance culture with Sarries and I predict Christie will be a fixture in the Scotland team now for some time to come. However, he is slightly missing his own point around Scotland “being soft” when he cites physicality examples in defence of that slight. The issue is much closer to the example he referenced around feeling off before a game but being told “it doesn’t matter, you can still play well” by Farrell. Until Scotland can get their psyche in that square, they will carry on folding under extreme pressure…
2 Go to comments> We are having to adapt, evolve and innovate more than when we were in Super Rugby where there was only really one style that everybody had to play to gain the most success. Have = able to? Interesting what that one style might be? I thought SA sides still had bad tours now, or at least bad schedule, months away? Those extra few hours flights have to be a killer though, no surprise to see their sides doing so badly at the start of the season each year. I wouldn’t enjoy that unfairness as a supporter.
7 Go to commentsThe problem for NZ, and Aus, is they ripped up the SR model and lost a massive chunk of revenue that hasn’t been replaced. Don’t forget SA clubs went North because they were left with no choice, Argy unceremoniously binned and Japan cast adrift. Now SR wasn’t perfect, far from it, but they’ve jumped into something without an effective plan, so far, to replace what they’ve lost. The biggest revenue potential now lies in Japan but it won’t be easy or quick to unlock, they are incredibly insular in culture as a nation. In the meantime, there is a serious time bomb sitting under SH rugby and if it happens then the current financial challenges will look like a picnic. IF the Boks follow their provincial teams and head north then it’s revenue meltdown. Not guaranteed to happen but the status quo is a very odd hybrid, with the Boks pointing one way and the clubs pointing the other way. And for as long as that remains then the threat is real.
45 Go to commentsI think Etene has had some good tuition, likely while at the Warriors to be a professional that helped his rugby jump, but he was certainly thrown in the deep end way too early. Should have arguably 20 less SR caps, and therefor a way better record that he does at his age, but his development would have been fast tracked by the need to satiate his signing away from league. Again, credit to him and others that he has done it so well. Easy to fall over under that pressure in the big leagues like that but he kept at it when I myself wasn’t sure he was good enough.
1 Go to commentsAwesome story. I wonder what a bigger American (SA) scene might have mean for Brex.
1 Go to comments“Johnny McNicholl and the Crusaders” save a Penney. Who has been in camp this week and showed them how to play?
8 Go to commentsSo, reports of the Crusaders’ demise / terminal decline are perhaps just - slightly - premature/exaggerated…? 🤔 Will we see a deep-dive into that by the estimable Rugbypass scribes, and maybe one or two mea culpas? Thought not.
8 Go to comments1. The Chiefs are rudderless without DMac, which enhances his AB chances 2. Chiefs pack are powderpuffs. The hard men arent there anymore 3. They had their golden title chance last yr and wont threaten this yr. Gone in second round of playoffs.
8 Go to commentsHonestly, why did you have to publish such a foolish article the day they play us? 😂
45 Go to comments> They are not standalone entities. They are linked to an amateur association which holds the FFR licence that allows the professional side to compete in the league. That’s a great rule. This looks like the chicken or egg professional scenario. How long is it going to be before the club can break even (if that is even a thing in French rugby)? If the locals aren’t into well it would be good to se them drop to amateur level (is it that far?). Hope they can reset from this level and be more practical, there will be a time when they can rebuild (if France has there setup right).
1 Go to commentsWhat about changing the ball? To something heavier and more pointed that bounces unpredictably. Not this almost round football used these days.
35 Go to comments