Rugby Australia (RA) is facing fresh calls to spend up and bring back Eddie Jones after the Australian produced another Rugby World Cup coaching masterpiece.
New Zealander Dave Rennie had been tipped to succeed departing Wallabies coach Michael Cheika, but England’s stunning 19-7 win over New Zealand in their Rugby World Cup semi-final has sent Jones’s stocks skyrocketing.
Jones was being hailed as a coaching genius after his brutally-efficient England outfit outmuscled and humbled the world No.1 All Blacks in Yokohama on Saturday night.
The scoreline failed to tell the full story as England had two tries disallowed on video review while New Zealand’s vaunted attacking unit managed only one try, off an England lineout error.
The upset win comes four years after Jones masterminded Japan’s stunning 34-32 World Cup pool game win over South Africa, dubbed the “Miracle of Brighton”.
Jones was consultant for South Africa when the Springboks won the World Cup for the second time in 2007.
He also led the Wallabies to the 2003 final in Sydney, somewhat against the odds by ousting the All Blacks in the semi-finals.
Former Wallabies forward turned rugby analyst Stephen Hoiles said RA should make every effort to sign Jones.
“If we’re serious about that, if Australian rugby want to find the right man for the job, and it’s everyone’s preference in Australia that that is an Australian, those phone calls have to be made,” Hoiles told Fox Sports.
“Absolutely, whether he’s on contract or not, that’s a conversation for after the World Cup final.
“But Australian rugby, to go through a genuine review, you’ve got to cast the net wide and find the best in the world.
“I’d argue there’s not anyone better than him.”
Jones himself, gives the lie to the theory the next Wallabies coach must be an Australian, given what he had done for England.
But he may simply be the best in what is a limited field of great international coaches and cost may be the biggest issue, particularly as RA would probably have to buy out his England contract.
And if he goes on to win the World Cup next week it may take more than RA could pay to prise him away from a title defence with England, where he has enormous player and financial resources to draw on.
Former England playmaker Stuart Barnes said England’s relentlessness at the breakdown on Saturday night reminded him of Australia in their win over New Zealand in 2003 and of Japan against the Springboks in 2015.
“He’s done it again,” Barnes told Fox Sports.
“It’s a trilogy of great coaching performances.”
However, he warned that RA may not be able to afford to bring back the coach they sacked after a string of losses in 2005.
“Eddie Jones has been signed up till 2021 with England so forget that,” Barnes said.
“England pay pretty well so if Australia want him, they’re going to have to break the bank.”
