Eddie Jones has today reaffirmed his commitment to stay on as coach for “the battle” to revive the Wallabies as a force for the 2027 Rugby World Cup.
“I’m staying. I’ve always been committed to Australian rugby, want to leave it in a better place and that’s still the job,” Jones told a large media throng in Sydney this morning.
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Jones said the coaching team in charge of Australia’s disappointing World Cup campaign had done a full review but a Rugby Australia review through independent consultants is still to come.
The RA review will ultimately determine where Australian rugby heads from here after the Wallabies made their first pool stage exit at a World Cup.
“We’ve got a review going forward and let’s see what happens at the end of the review,” Jones said.
“I don’t control those things (staying on as coach). All you can do is coach. I went to the World Cup, came in for a short period and had to make a decision on the team and made the decision we had to go with youth.
“Whilst the results in the World Cup weren’t the results we wanted, I think I’ve left the Australian team in a great position to go on to 2027. That judgment will be decided by the 2027 World Cup.”
Jones said his work ethic to upgrade and improve the Wallabies remained undimmed.
“I didn’t come back to Australia to have a holiday, sit down at Coogee Beach, eat fish and chips, have a nice flat white. It was always going to be a battle. When you’ve got a team that hasn’t done well for a long period of time, it’s always a battle,” he said.
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Posted by Wallabies on Wednesday, October 11, 2023
Jones said better alignment in Australia from grassroots to Super Rugby to the Wallabies was essential in the code’s rebuild.
The quality of the All Blacks v Ireland and South Africa v France quarter-finals in France was superb. Jones didn’t shy away from a comparison.
“You just had to watch the quarterfinals at the weekend. We’re not at that level. And we can’t pretend to be at that level. But can we be at that level by 2027? Yes, we can,” said Jones.
“We’re definitely off the pace but the opportunity to get better is there. I love the game. I love working with young players. I loved seeing some of the young players maturing during the World Cup and some of them struggle. And that’s all part of it. But I love the game and I love coaching the Wallabies.”
A 2-7 win-loss record put strain through every corner of the code in 2023. He can still see a brighter future.
“I think I’ve got the foresight to see where we need to go. I’ve got the experience of being in difficult situations before,” Jones said.
Jones was short when questioned about persistent reports on linking with Japan after the World Cup and conversations to that end.
“I haven’t been speaking to anyone, mate,” Jones said in batting away questions.
