The Eddie Jones experience has reached its final stop as Rugby Australia CEO Phil Waugh was left to lament the 'disappointing' series of events that has seen the coach depart less than a year after his return.
Jones's tenure as coach was far from boring, starting with an entertaining press conference at his old school before a lack of results saw the coach snap at the doubters and media before leaving for France.
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As the Wallabies struggled at the World Cup, rumours of Japanese interest began to swirl and Jones had to ward off the links as the side missed the group stages for the first time in history.
Jones would step down as coach just hours after the World Cup had finished, with RA confirming his decision on Tuesday.
Waugh labelled the decision and subsequent negotiations of his termination 'sensible' as he looks to rebuild trust in the game.
“We’ve got a deed of release with Eddie…I think I’ve been fairly transparent around the fact that Rugby Australia has ended up in a very good situation financially through the separation,” Waugh said.
"Eddie’s put a lot into 2023 and into the campaign and the performances weren’t where they need to be...I think that as the CEO, as Australian supporters, as Australians, we’re disappointed with the performances and we need to move forward from that.
“I think that where we are from a performance of the World Cup, clearly disappointing (campaign)...The loss against Fiji was a big loss, Wales had momentum going into the third game and that was probably one of the most disappointing performances of the Wallabies for some time.
"This is hopefully the low point and it's a chance for all of us to reset and move forward."
Waugh was a part of the board that brought back Jones, the last coach to win the Bledisloe Cup, in January, opting to get rid of Dave Rennie after an inconsistent 2022.
"The board's responsible for those decisions and there's no hiding from that," he admits.
"It's speculative or hypothetical where we would've been had we not made that call or had Dave stayed, we'll never know but the performances of the team and and the results that we delivered weren't up to the expectation of anyone and clearly the lowest that we've had in a World Cup.
“Hindsight is a wonderful thing...you get presented information at the time and you make decisions based on that information and where we ended up is clearly not good enough...It may have or may not have been different but it's a decision that we have to live with and it's a disappointing result."
Now Waugh will lead the process for a third coach in the space of 12 months.
Jones was considered a "captain's pick" of sorts but the CEO is looking to take his time to find his replacement.
This includes looking at options in Australia and overseas, with the likes of Michael Cheika, Dan McKellar and even Ian Foster thrown up by certain sections of the media as candidates.
"We want to make sure that we get the right panel together and once we do, run the process. Our next test is not till July next year, so we have time," Waugh added. "I think the most important aspect is getting the right coach however long that takes.
"I think it's a really good opportunity for any aspiring coach...We've got a lot of work on retaining good talent coming through our pathways, but I think it's a pretty attractive role for top coaches.
"...We have a job to do here. We have a lot of ground to make up with building trust with our stakeholders and community and we all know we have let down the people and we are ultimately responsible.
"Our focus will be reconnecting with the community rather than where Eddie is going to be."
