Eddie Jones couldn't resist 'still recovering' dig at referee Raynal

Eddie Jones was in his element at his introductory media briefing as the new Wallabies coach on Tuesday, speaking about a myriad of topics as he starts out his five-year journey with his native country just weeks after being dismissed by England. 

Curiously, though, just days after a much-criticised TV skit that featured two Wallabies players - Nic White and Ned Hannigan - striking tennis balls and trying to hit a moving picture of referee Mathieu Raynal, Jones couldn't resist making a quip about the French referee who found himself in the eye of an Australian storm four months ago.

Australia were leading the All Blacks in the final moments of their September Rugby Championship meeting with the All Blacks in Melbourne and had just been awarded a penalty to clear their lines. However, Raynal took umbrage with what he felt were the delaying tactics of Bernard Foley in taking his kick and he penalised the Wallabies out-half, handing possession back to New Zealand who went on to score the winning try. 

Raynal has endured a difficult time since that high-profile incident and but for availability issues with some fellow officials, he would have been confined to refereeing only the Romania versus Samoa match during the recent Autumn Nations Series. Instead, he was belatedly appointed as the referee for Ireland versus Fiji and England versus the All Blacks after Jaco Peyper and Nic Berry pulled out due to respective injury and personal reasons. 

It was while looking ahead to this year’s Bledisloe Cup encounters versus the All Blacks that new Wallabies coach Jones mentioned Raynal at his media briefing on Tuesday in Sydney and his remark wasn’t very flattering, the new Wallabies coach suggesting that the French referee is “still recovering” from what had happened in Melbourne even though he has been appointed to take charge of the upcoming February 25 Guinness Six Nations meeting between Wales and England in Cardiff.  

Asked about the importance of the Wallabies breaking their Bledisloe Cup struggles in a two-game series that culminates in Dunedin on August 5, Jones said: “It’s pretty important.” Going on to remember 2001 in Dunedin and the party after a team coached by Jones had won that match with Stephen Larkham manipulating space, he added: “That’s a big target for us. 

“We know as Australians if we can take New Zealand then we are in a good position to take the World Cup so we certainly will be prioritising that but it won’t be the be-all and end-all because the World Cup is the major tournament. 

“Certainly, we have got a home game against them in Melbourne (at the MCG on July 29) where we hope to have a sell-out crowd which will be a great occasion and we know that the last time the Australians played there (in Melbourne) the referee made a difficult decision at the end of the game and he is still recovering from it.

“Australia went close and it’s a ground, Melbourne Cricket Ground, where Australia traditionally play well. We can get the lead in the series then and go to Dunedin, what a fabulous place to win back the Bledisole Cup. That’s the picture in the head, mate.”