Despite Australia's travails in the Rugby Championship, Eddie Jones is adamant that his side can still deliver at the World Cup; 'I love the challenge of putting a team together and coming back there's no greater pride than hopefully getting the Wallabies back playing well,' Jones said
Thursday 20 July 2023 20:54, UK
Eddie Jones believes that, despite Australia’s torrid run in the current Rugby Championship, his side can perform in the World Cup later this year.
Australia lost heavily to South Africa earlier this month and Argentina beat them at home last weekend. Next they play New Zealand on July 29, live on Sky Sports.
"I think in reality we need to hit rock bottom and then bounce up. I was hoping that we could do an immediate rescue job. That's not going to happen. We almost need to scrape at the bottom and start again to a large degree," Jones told Sky Sports News.
"There's been a fairly big drop off in Australian rugby so we've got to try to find a way to lift it up."
He added: "There's been a long period now where they've been unsuccessful and that almost becomes the norm so we're having to change the mindset, we're having to change training habits, we're having to change the way the players think about the game.
"There's a bit to do but as long as we get the big things right we'll be okay."
He is not discouraged. "I love it," Jones said. "I love the challenge of putting a team together and coming back to your own country there's no more pride than hopefully getting the Wallabies back playing well."
He is adamant Australia can still have an impact on the World Cup.
"We're just getting ready. In a lot of ways the Rugby Championship for us is a glorified pre season for us. As much as we want to win, we've got to use it to experiment a bit because I'm still getting to know the players," he said.
"I've been working with the players, really had them for six training sessions, we've just got to keep finding out where we're at and how we can put together the strongest team.
"Australia's a good tournament team. Look at their record at the World Cup," Jones added. "We do well in tournaments and that history helps you.
"We're a country that's a small country, a long way from everywhere and sport's important for us and if our sporting teams can do well it puts Australia on the map."
Jones thinks a home tournament can inspire Australia's football team in the Women's World Cup.
"I've been fascinated again with how popular it is. I've seen Sam Kerr on the television more than you see the Wallabies. There's a real change in the appetite for women's sport in Australia, which used to be a very sexist country," he said.
There is pressure on the home team. "They've just got to quieten the noise and that'll be the job of the head coach and the team environment to ensure that not too much noise gets in and then individually for Sam Kerr, how she handles it. I always think Cathy Freeman in the 2000 Olympics, in 2003 [at the men's Rugby World Cup] our boys enjoyed the honour of representing Australia in front of your home crowd so it can be a bonus. It can be definitely a bonus," he said.
"It's that old adage, walk towards the pressure, enjoy the pressure and when they've got a higher purpose as they have, to not only want to be a great sporting team but also openly be an inspiration for young girls to play sport, it creates a bit more of a feeling for them."
Jones insists he holds "zero" bitterness with regard to how his tenure as England head coach ended.
"I miss the players, the players were fantastic. I love the players in England. And the intensity of the Six Nations. We've got the Rugby championship which is fantastic but the Six Nations is a special tournament," he said.
"I had seven years. I had a good go at it. I feel honoured to have had that seven years and in the end the results just weren't good enough. So you go into the job with your eyes open and when the results aren't good enough, it's fair enough."
In England the structure of professional rugby has been shaken by three Premiership clubs going bust.
Jones thinks the sport should introduce a new layer of entertainment.
"Rugby should have 12s," he said. "The T20's actually improved Test cricket. It's something that happened probably by the need to make cricket more entertaining, it has actually made the best cricket more entertaining.
"Test rugby like Test cricket is the best and everyone wants to watch it. But then you need underneath that an entertainment form of the game. Club rugby's pretty serious.
"You need something a bit fun, a bit lighter and I reckon a 12s competition would do the trick there."
