At OL Park,
Their heaviest defeat ever in the Rugby World Cup and almost the guarantee of not getting out of the group stage for the first time in their history in a World Cup: the Wallabies signed a hell of a double blow on Sunday at Parc OL. The immense slap suffered against the Welsh (6-7 in the 14th, 6-40 in the end) will be placed in the pantheon of indelible fiascos of an Australian selection double world champion (1991 and 1999), and still finalist of the prestigious event in 2015. Defeated by Fiji a week earlier in Saint-Etienne (15-22), Eddie Jones’ men were unable to raise their heads in Décines. While the only “hope” now lies in improbable chokes Fijians against Georgia and Portugal, the Australian coach crystallizes criticism in the country.
You just have to see to what extent from the presentation of the teams, he suffered as many whistles as Rudi Garcia and Karl Toko Ekambi in their time in this same stadium. The finalist of the 2003 World Cup (during a first four-year lease with Australia) and 2019 (with England) is especially criticized for having snubbed experienced players like Quade Cooper and Michael Hooper to bet on the best group. youngest of the twenty participants in this World Cup (25.8 years on average). A lost bet in a big way, given the disastrous results for the year 2023, with seven defeats in eight matches played.
“I take full responsibility for this defeat”
Prostrate in his hands throughout the second half on Sunday, Mr Eddie anticipated the questions at a press conference on Sunday evening: “I apologize to all Australians. I take full responsibility for this defeat. This young team really tried, but we don’t currently have the weapons to thwart a team like Wales. It’s very disappointing.” This brief mea culpa was followed by a strange settling of scores between the 63-year-old technician and the Australian press.
In question is an article published the day before by THE Sydney Morning Herald, and reporting an interview via Zoom between Eddie Jones… and the Japanese rugby federation, with a view to leading the Japanese selection again (after an adventure from 2012 to 2015) at the end of this World Cup in France. “His popularity was high when he took charge of Australia last January and it has plummeted in recent weeks,” he tells us. Thomas Decent, the journalist who broke the Eddie Jones affair on Saturday. This result against Wales will be very hard to digest for all rugby fans in Australia. »
He discusses with Japan two days before a France-Australia?
This one is categorical: “I am 100% sure of this interview with Japanese leaders, on August 25, 2023, two days before the test match against France (41-17), to quickly become the coach, despite his four-year contract with the Australian federation. I don’t think he would have been fired despite being eliminated from the World Cup group stage. But does he want to stay at the head of Australia? He may deny this affair with Japan, but I’m not sure he was very convincing.” We’ll let you judge the man’s management in the face of the stifling pressure from the “Aussie” media, all on the subject at the post-match press conference.
“Eddie, are you determined to continue as Australia coach?
– Yes, 100%. I came back to Australia to try to help. At the moment, I’m not helping much (smile) but I’m not going to give up. We must not just improve the Wallabies, we must develop the Australian rugby system as a whole. It’s up to us to take a good look in order to improve our rugby.
– Have you had a meeting with Japanese leaders?
– I don’t know what you’re talking about.
– Eddie, do you have another meeting planned with Japan?
– I already said I don’t know what you’re talking about, man.
– Can you assure Australian fans that you will not be Japan coach next year?
– I am involved with the Australian selection.
– Next year too?
– I am involved with the Australian selection. (Before losing what remained of his composure, at the end of a nightmarish evening in every way)
– I’m fed up with these questions questioning my commitment to Australia. I’ve been working non-stop since I got here. I repeat: I apologize for the results but doubting my commitment here seems a bit daring. So we’re going to leave it there with these questions about that. I’m fine talking about the Wales match, the upcoming one against Portugal, but not about that. So, what do you decide? »
“I am ashamed for the Australian people”
Game over for these fifteen minutes of tense media ping-pong. The Australian press then tried to find out if this article from Sydney Morning Herald had disrupted the group. “I don’t think we knew anything about it,” says captain David Porecki (30). We had our best week of preparation and our defeat had nothing to do with these rumors. We just weren’t good enough tonight. » An implacable observation which does not date from this Welsh tartass, but which this unforeseen vagueness around the future of Eddie Jones has not helped in view of this almost 8th final of the World Cup which was so poorly negotiated.
The young pillar Angus Bell (22 years old) was keen to proclaim his support for his probable future ex-coach: “Of course we would like him to continue with us. He’s our coach, he’s trying to build something. Above all, we are all devastated by this failure.” In the same vein, his teammate David Porecki continues: “Wales outclassed us tonight. I am ashamed for the Australian people. We will have to assume our responsibilities. » Beyond the Japanese imbroglio, Eddie Jones has been assuming his strategy for a year, even if it materializes in accounting terms by a crazy spiral of losing only stopped against Georgia (35-15) on September 9.
When you arrive at the position of coach, you want to win directly and build the best team. But when I accepted this position, I immediately understood that we had to rebuild the Wallabies. Change sometimes brings more pain than pleasure. What seems like a mess to you today is not a mess, I guarantee it. This evening, we see that this is the price to pay for progress. These young players suffered today. Don’t get me wrong, it’s the most painful time ever, but it’s also the best time to learn when you’re a young team like ours. All groups have been through what we are experiencing today. Angus Bell, Nick Frost, Tom Hooper, Fraser McReight and Valetini will one day be among the best players in the world. If I didn’t believe in the possibility of winning the World Cup, I wouldn’t be here. I think I have the ability to turn things around. »
“Putting the clubs and the selection in unison”
To the point of being a real contender for final victory in four years at home? Yeah, it’s hard to plan on that after such an XXL fiasco, and especially with Eddie Jones at the helm who we had rarely seen as dejected as on Sunday during this entire cataclysmic second act. To have more lucid expertise regarding the Wallabies, it was finally necessary to hand the microphone to the camp opposite.
“I think that the domination of New Zealand teams in Super Rugby does not help Australia,” confides Warren Gatland, the New Zealand coach of the Leek XV. It’s like for Wales: the provinces must perform well to pull the selection up. I think Australian rugby has the players and the coaches. The franchises and regional teams just need to shine and work well so that it reflects on the selection. In Wales, we experienced this difficulty of bringing the clubs and the selection into unison. The key is there I think, seen from the outside. » Make way for a shipment of popcorn to see if dear Eddie Jones will try to turn around the Wallabies… or Japan by 2027.