Australian Rugby / RA
- Thread starter Dave Beat
- Start date
wamberal99
Syd Malcolm (24)
It is kind of interesting that our men's cricket team has lost their first two matches in the World Cup. They only have to lose one more and they are gonski.
kiap
Steve Williams (59)
The Ghost of Raelene
Andrew Slack (58)
Think we have seen the need for change prior to the WC though.
Not progressing was the match thrown into the dumpster that is RA.
The Ghost of Raelene
Andrew Slack (58)
Rugby Australia: Jones told us this week he’s staying
Jones met chief executive Phil Waugh in Paris on Tuesday to reiterate he remained committed to coaching the embattled Wallabies until their home World Cup in 2027.
Bit better than the SMH article.
Wallabies coach Eddie Jones privately reassured Rugby Australia officials as late as Tuesday that he was committed to leading the country’s struggling national team, despite international reports of an imminent appointment as Japan’s next head coach.
Rugby Australia sources familiar with the talks, who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter, said Jones met chief executive Phil Waugh in Paris on Tuesday to reiterate that he remained committed to coaching the embattled Wallabies until their home World Cup in 2027.
Jones’ reassurances were made before a report appeared in Japanese sports newspaper Sponichi that said Japan Rugby Football Union president Masato Tsuchida had reached out to Jones during the northern spring.
Rugby Australia on Thursday declined to comment on the report, reiterating the statement first made by Mr Waugh: “I take Eddie for his word, and he has told us there is nothing to it.”
Rugby Australia chairman Hamish McLennan and Mr Waugh have repeatedly defended Jones after The Sydney Morning Herald revealed he was secretly interviewing for the top job in Japan in the weeks before Australia’s World Cup campaign.
“My understanding all along is that wherever he is in the world, Japan would take him back in some capacity in a heartbeat, so there is a standing offer there to take him,” Mr McLennan told The Telegraph last month. “We have asked him if he interviewed with Japan, and he has categorically denied it on a number of occasions, so we take him at his word.”
Jones, who has received heavy criticism for Australia’s disastrous World Cup performance, has publicly denied an interview took place. But this would not be the first time Jones’ comments have been questioned.
At the 2015 Rugby World Cup, as new coach of the Stormers, Jones declined rumours he was talking to the Rugby Football union about taking over as England coach.
Within two weeks, he was announced as the new coach of England, apologising for his “sudden decision”.
Jones is contracted with RA until the end of their home World Cup in 2027 and was put in charge of the Wallabies in January, a move designed to rebuild an already struggling team.
“It is a major coup for Australian rugby to have the best coach in the world return home to coach the iconic Wallabies and to oversee the Wallaroos program,” Mr McLennan said at the time. “Eddie’s deep understanding of our rugby system and knowledge of our player group and pathways will lift the team to the next level.”
Jones has made drastic decisions since his arrival – such as the absence of Quade Cooper and longstanding captain Michael Hooper from the World Cup campaign. Centres Samu Kerevi and Jordan Petaia were axed for the final match of the Rugby World Cup against Portugal, following the team’s humiliating 40-6 loss to Wales. Mr McLennan described the loss to Wales as “rock bottom”.
Since January, when Jones was named head coach, the Wallabies have won two matches and lost seven. There are ways for Jones to terminate his contract early, and he will need to serve a notice period if the reports become reality.
The claims Jones that will replace Japan’s head coach Jamie Joseph would be a further blow to Rugby Australia, which is trying to rebuild the sport from a grassroots level and shore up funding to secure its future.
Rugby Australia, which until recently was trying to secure $200 million in private equity, is raising $60 million in debt and is in negotiations about a new broadcast deal with its incumbent partner, Nine Entertainment, the owner of Stan as well as The Australian Financial Review.
Dan54
Tim Horan (67)
Not saying there not need for change, I saying that it's not because of WC exit, and it's got strident since then. There was need for change well before that happened.
It was brought home before the WC when the PE deal/s fell over. And why the fix has to be careful etc and not burn it down and start again etc.
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Bullrush
John Hipwell (52)
That’s cool but I’m not talking about atmosphere.
Super Rugby has fan passion as well. Being a Blues man with family who are Crusader and Chiefs fans, good mates who are Hurricanes fans, I know Super Rugby has great tribalism and rivalry.
The Euro Rugby Champions Cup is the best v the best for just 4 rounds. In it’s heyday, Super Rugby had the best players in the SH going at it for 10-odd rounds before going to Finals and it produced the best Test teams in rugby for 2 decades. Every RWC apart from 2003 has been won by us. The SH dominated the Top 4 spots in world rankings.
Personally, I don’t think our best players, and thus our Test teams, will improve by having the bulk of our games against Japan, Argentina and the Island nations. Our players need good competition internally, within their respective Super Rugby and domestic squads, and from the best our SANZAAR partners have to offer.
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Slim 293
Stirling Mortlock (74)
Dan54
Tim Horan (67)
I think Bullrush means apart from 2003. All WCs have been won by SH teams and with teams involved in super.
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Bullrush
John Hipwell (52)
Yep….fixed….thanks Dan
HooperPocockSmith
Bill Watson (15)
Is it possible that the JRFU are deliberately agitating and pushing fake stories so that RA force Jones out? It's impossible to get a read on this situation lol.
Otherwise, Jones has flat-out lied to Waugh & RA.
Otherwise, Jones has flat-out lied to Waugh & RA.
The Ghost of Raelene
Andrew Slack (58)
The "Standing Offer" line gives that thought credence but I tend to not think they would do that.
Bullrush
John Hipwell (52)
I’m sorry you don’t think that Super Rugby has passionate fans but try telling that to my son who rode the train home with my Hurricane-supporter uso, struggling to hold back tears after watching the Blues lose to the Canes at Eden Park.
Tell it to my Chiefs-loving cousin who is married to a hard-core Crusaders fan and almost need counselling after each face-off.
And all those passion-less fans who had no interest in the Reds championship run in 2011.
There is a direct correlation to passion and winning. It’s not as if the bottom Top 14 teams are regularly pulling 20,000 fans per game to their stadium.
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Wallaby Man
Trevor Allan (34)
I’m not sure if it’s exact science that you need to play the best to improve, I’m more in the camp that you just need to play at a level that at a minimum forces you to make decisions and apply a certain level of pressure to improve. Reason why I say this is that Ireland is undoubtedly the worlds best team recently and they basically play Italian, Welsh and Scottish teams for the majority of their games, depending on their champions cup draw they might face 3 or 4 French or English teams during the season and that’s only if they reach a final. It’s hardly a barrage of top tier club opposition, however they have reached their current heights on such opposition.
noscrumnolife
Jimmy Flynn (14)
Doesn't seem like their MO.
I think he's been agitating Rugby AU for months now threatening to leave in order to get changes he wants to the performance program. From the Broncan interview:
“It will be up to Australian rugby to give Eddie Jones the capacity to train around 40 players all year round, which the French team did after a disastrous World Cup in 2015. There was the establishment of JIFFs then, with Fabien Galthié, the 40 players present to prepare for international matches. 28 to 30 players blocked, banned from playing at club level during the Six Nations, preparation which intensified around the France team. It has to be the same for Australia if they want to perform well.”
But his pushyness has blown up in his face because:
1. The results were terrible, reducing his leverage.
2. Tom not-so-Decent decided to leak his EXCLUSIVE (and very vague) news of a meeting the night before the most important game of the Wallabies for four years, the contents of which remain unknown. This has changed the narrative around Eddie completely.
Taking away how annoying all this is, its also a pretty interesting situation. Fundamentally I think Eddie has McLennan's balls over a barrel. If he leaves, McLennan's position is surely untenable. So McLennan needs him to stay. I suspect Waugh will also back Eddie. I think he knows they won't/can't afford to sack him. So he either keeps the job, or he walks himself off to Japan. I reckon he will stay, because I Rugby AU will get his demands for performance based centralisation over the line.
But I also accept I might look like a complete mope for suggesting that in the not-too-distant future.
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Bullrush
John Hipwell (52)
And now they have SA as well. Personally, I think playing regularly against SA is a big thing.
I also think the internal competition and the need to perform to keep your position is hugely important and is why quality coaching through the levels is necessary.
Wilson
Michael Lynagh (62)
I really don't get the hate for Decent for writing what was clearly a newsworthy story, but whether you hate him or not he didn't leak it - he's not an insider and broke no confidence. Yes, it was potentially a leak from either someone in the Japanese setup or Eddie's inner circle, but Decent didn't leak anything, he reported on the news, as is his job.
Ignoto
Greg Davis (50)
I want to believe Hamish and co didn't ask specifically if Eddie interviewed as that gives Eddie too much wiggle room here. Quite easy for Eddie to say no, he didn't do an interview if they simply had a chat and a contract appeared in front of Eddie to sign.
In any event, it's such horrible optics that I can't believe a smart bloke like Eddie wouldn't have known what he was doing.
Hamish and Phil better be speaking to someone on the side as this will no doubt go tits up and Australian Rugby will be the only ones that suffer.
Slim 293
Stirling Mortlock (74)
That anecdotal tale of your loved ones doesn’t exactly trump the quantifiable data that clearly shows interest in Super Rugby has dramatically reduced over the years…
Jones was preparing a Plan B whilst he was being paid big $ to execute Plan A. The evidence of that is overwhelming.
McLennan and Jones need to go. They are not high character people that can build a new culture and take the game forward.
The best outcome is Eddie f’s off and our failed chair is forced to resign.
McLennan and Jones need to go. They are not high character people that can build a new culture and take the game forward.
The best outcome is Eddie f’s off and our failed chair is forced to resign.