Eddie Jones doubles down on denying Japan talks, commits to Wallabies
Eddie Jones remains committed to Australian rugby and says his full intention is to coach the Wallabies through to the home World Cup in 2027.
Speculation has been rife that Jones would walk away from his position following Australia's dismal campaign in France, where the Wallabies failed to make the quarter-finals for the first time in 10 editions of the global showpiece.
Reports of Jones being interviewed for the Japan national job last month, just days before the start of the tournament, derailed Australia's campaign.
Despite denying he was set to jump ship, the rumour mill continued to operate in overdrive, with speculation continuing the 63-year-old would have another Japan interview in November.
But Jones put that speculation to bed on Tuesday at a packed press conference at Coogee Oval, where he was grilled by reporters for 25 minutes.
He said he was "100 per cent" committed to staying on and again denied any links to, or talks with, Japanese rugby.
"I love working with young players," he said.
"I loved seeing some of the young players maturing during the World Cup - and some struggled, and that is part of it.
"I love the game and I love coaching those players, 100 per cent.
"If you look at the number of players we took to the World Cup, the number of players who are still to reach their peak - players like (Fraser) McReight, (Tate) McDermott, (Ben) Donaldson, (Tom) Hooper, (Max) Jorgensen - there are a number of players there who are at the start of their international career.
"Most of them showed during the World Cup that they have enough to really go forward and be very good players for Australia.
"We throw in a few other players from around the place and we have a nucleus of a really good team.
"That is the most positive thing."
Jones stressed that, while he wanted to remain, his position would be determined at a post-World Cup review with Rugby Australia.
RA chief Phil Waugh, who played under Jones in the 2003 World Cup final and for several other years, is on record as saying he was happy to take his former coach on his word about having not spoken with Japan.
Asked why he still believed he was the best man for the job, despite just two wins - over international minnows Portugal and Georgia - from 11 Tests in 2023, Jones said he has "the foresight to see where we need to go".
"I've got the experience of being in difficult situations before," he said.
"This is not an unusual situation. You've got a team that was struggling for a period of time.
"You've got underneath it a system that's not supporting it. And at some stage, you bottom out.
"This is the opportunity now to change the team, as we've started, picking younger players with bright futures.
"We've got to look at the development system underneath as well. This is not a simple equation that 'the Wallabies are bad'.
"Let's be serious about this. The Wallabies are not where they need to be. But underneath that, we need to fix the system to go forward.
"If we can do that now, we've got a rosy future."
"Sometimes, when you have changed, everyone hates change because it is uncomfortable. Everyone likes the status quo," he said.
"And we had the courage, whether it be the right courage, to make the choice that we would go with a younger squad.
"The young squad will stand Australia in good stead."
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> It would be best described as an elegant solution to what was potentially going to be a significant problem for new All Blacks coach Scott Robertson. It is a problem the mad population of New Zealand will have to cope with more and more as All Blacks are able to continue their careers in NZ post RWCs. It will not be a problem for coaches, who are always going to start a campaign with the captain for the next WC in mind. > Cane, despite his warrior spirit, his undoubted commitment to every team he played for and unforgettable heroics against Ireland in last year’s World Cup quarter-final, was never unanimously admired or respected within New Zealand while he was in the role. Neither was McCaw, he was considered far too passive a captain and then out of form until his last world cup where everyone opinions changed, just like they would have if Cane had won the WC. > It was never easy to see where Cane, or even if, he would fit into Robertson’s squad given the new coach will want to be building a new-look team with 2027 in mind. > Cane will win his selections on merit and come the end of the year, he’ll sign off, he hopes, with 100 caps and maybe even, at last, universal public appreciation for what was a special career. No, he won’t. Those returning from Japan have already earned the right to retain their jersey, it’s in their contract. Cane would have been playing against England if he was ready, and found it very hard to keep his place. Perform, and they keep it however. Very easy to see where Cane could have fit, very hard to see how he could have accomplished it choosing this year as his sabbatical instead of 2025, and that’s how it played out (though I assume we now know what when NZR said they were allowing him to move his sabbatical forward and return to NZ next year, they had actually agreed to simply select him for the All Blacks from overseas, without any chance he was going to play in NZ again). With a mammoth season of 15 All Black games they might as well get some value out of his years contract, though even with him being of equal character to Richie, I don’t think they should guarantee him his 100 caps. That’s not what the All Blacks should be about. He absolutely has to play winning football.
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