'They targeted him': Ex-Wallabies coach on Carter Gordon and Joseph Suaalii

Eddie Jones has given a blunt assessment of Carter Gordon’s difficult return to Test rugby, saying the young Wallabies fly-half “was targeted” by Italy and “found it difficult” to cope with the pressure in Udine.

Australia lost to Gonzalo Quesada’s Italy 26–19, the Azzurri claiming one of their biggest scalps in recent memory.

Gordon recently returned to the fifteen-man code after a spell with the Gold Coast Titans in the NRL and has been thrown back into the deep end at 10 by head coach Joe Schmidt.

Jones isn’t convinced, yet at least.

“It was a tough old day for him,” Jones said on the Rugby Unity podcast. “He’s a big kid and a very talented player, but that was a hard task for him. He played his first game back in rugby against Italy in Udine, in a great atmosphere, and I thought they targeted him and he found it difficult.

“Maybe he’ll come out of it with some confidence, but certainly I think the Italians targeted him and he found it difficult going.”

The former England coach said Gordon’s performance spoke to the challenge of developing young playmakers at Test level.

“That was a really hard task for him, first game back, against a side playing with that kind of energy,” said Jones. “You learn a lot about young tens in those situations – how they react, how they recover, how they grow.

“I don’t have an answer, but I’ve got an opinion,” Jones told his fellow podcasters when asked about his former side.

“They’re trying to play what we call small-pitch rugby – compress the defence, play through them, and then swing,” he said. “When James O’Connor was at ten, his decision-making on when to swing was outstanding. Since he hasn’t played they’ve lacked that decision-making. You see the defence compressed but they don’t swing with numbers.

“You’ve got to be brave as a ten,” he said. “You’ve got to take on the line even when you’re under pressure. He’s a talented kid [Carter Gordon], but the challenge now is learning how to handle that pressure and keep the team moving forward.”

Jones also questioned the balance in Australia’s midfield.

“I don’t think Suaalii has been at his best in the last three or four Tests,” he said. “He’s missed having Ikitau there, because Paisami is a similar straight, hard runner. They’ve lacked that little bit of deception that Ikitau brings. If Ikitau comes back and O’Connor plays, they can get that fluency back.

Jones was full of praise for Italy, describing the match as one of the most intense of the weekend.

“It was a really impressive game of rugby. The intensity of the contest was high from both teams and Italy have improved enormously under Quesada,” he said. “They play a high-kicking game now, but they’re still adventurous. They’ve got two big, strong centres who can dent the line and stay on their feet long enough for the support to arrive.”

He said the growing Wallabies’ penalty count was less about discipline and more about emotion.

“It’s rarely just discipline. It’s the pressure the opposition put on you, and it’s also that emotional part – players getting frustrated they’re not in the game and trying to force it. They overdo it at the breakdown, get penalised, and think, ‘I’ve got to do something again.’ That can lead to double penalties.”