Nearly two years to the day that Eddie Jones departed Australian rugby, solely narrowly avoiding the door swatting him on his manner out, the Wallabies are set to come back nose to nose with their former mentor in Tokyo.
Few folks throughout the Australian rugby group shed a tear, if any in any respect, when Jones packed up his pocket book and headed for Japan for a job he, to this present day, maintains he had not taken earlier than the Wallabies’ 2023 Rugby World Cup marketing campaign descended into full and utter chaos.
The actual fact Jones was unveiled because the Courageous Blossoms coach a number of weeks later is why that assertion will endlessly be taken with greater than just some grains of salt.
However Jones’ greatest insult to the nation that set him on his path to what has in any other case been a exceptional teaching profession, which features a Rugby World Cup triumph as an assistant, an additional two finals within the prime job, and what stays the sport’s most storied upset, got here a number of months later.
“That is the issue mate, we have no hardness about us,” Jones stated to Wallabies nice James Slipper, in a unprecedented second that was captured by Stan’s documentary, The Wallabies.
“Recreation hardness is totally different to any type of hardness, while you simply stick within the f—— recreation and do it. There’s none of that in Australian rugby now, and that is the place the massive hole is, mate.”
The assertion, even from a bloke with a historical past of beautiful one-liners, was unbelievable, and will need to have had the documentary’s loggers smiling from ear to ear. A challenge that was designed to chart what Australia hoped was going to be a profitable World Cup marketing campaign had descended right into a trainwreck of epic proportions, and viewers merely would not be capable to look away.
The Wallabies was going to show as one of many all-time “hate watches” and Jones was squarely guilty.
However after all of the drama, the Australian’s “hardness” remark reduce to the core of the sport Down Beneath.
Did Jones have some extent? Was that one of many the explanation why the Wallabies exited the World Cup on the pool stage for the primary time… or was Eddie speaking out of his you already know the place?
Fortunately, because it has turned out, nothing could possibly be additional than the reality: “hardness” wasn’t in as quick a provide as Jones may need had you suppose.
Whereas the British and Irish Lions collection was misplaced, the actual fact the Wallabies salvaged a complete win within the third Check was an indication that commentary was huge of the mark. A drought-breaking, 62-year first in Johannesburg was its affirmation.
That unbelievable comeback win on the non secular dwelling of Springboks rugby put the rugby world on discover – it was stuffed with self-belief, coronary heart and a few glowing Wallabies rugby that will not be forgotten anytime quickly.
“Hardness” was once more on present when Australia went to the 86th minute in Townsville, spurning the prospect for a near-guaranteed penalty and a draw, and as an alternative went for the attempt to the win over the Pumas. They have been dually rewarded when Angus Bell charged over from shut vary.
The Wallabies are certainly not the completed product, and 5 straight Exams to complete the yr, after what has already been their most brutal schedule years, will likely be a greater measure of simply how a lot progress has been made since 2024.
Regardless of their memorable triumphs this season, Australia sit at 4-6 for 2025, which is precisely the identical file as that they had at this stage final yr.
Possibly Jones did not have the suitable gamers in France? Of the 33 gamers he selected, solely 9 are a part of Joe Schmidt’s Wallabies squad that travelled to Tokyo on Sunday. Some have switched codes, have moved abroad and others, like Nic White and Slipper, have lately retired.
However then there are people who most likely should not have been wherever close to the World Cup group, and others who have been on the time inexplicably ignored altogether.
When Slipper ultimately fronted the media for the primary time since Jones feedback have been revealed in The Wallabies, the prop requested “do you continue to need me to be diplomatic”, earlier than admitting that “components” of what his former coach had stated could have been true.
Now that he has retired, you get the sense Slipper would possibly reply considerably otherwise, not less than when requested about it on the pre-Check lunch circuit anyway.
And whereas present Wallabies captain Harry Wilson, whom Jones by no means chosen throughout his chaotic 10-month reign, on Sunday stated subsequent weekend’s conflict will not be private for the gamers that stay from that embarrassing 2023 marketing campaign, the broader Australian rugby public would love nothing greater than to exorcise the Eddie demons as soon as and for all.
Hardness, Eddie? The Wallabies have proven loads of that because you left, mate.
