Rugby Australia's decision to re-hire Eddie Jones as coach proved to be a mistake, as he had too little time to turn the fortunes of the Wallabies around before the 2023 World Cup.
It may have taken 11 months, but the realisation now seems obvious. The moment it all went wrong for Rugby Australia was when they re-hired
The early signs were good: Jones helped put rugby back in the news. In a well-attended media unveiling, McLennan sought to explain the reasoning. “This represents an opportunity to secure a coach of immense expertise and experience at the biggest competitions, and we did not want to miss it.” That would have allowed even cynics to stomach Jones’s outlook on the world – part grin, part snarl, mostly propaganda. “What wins World Cups and the hearts of people are teams that play with spirit,” he said in his first press conference back in charge. “We want pride back in Australian rugby. That’s the most important thing.”
And Rennie had begun this process of renewal while remaining competitive. Yes, under the New Zealander, the Wallabies had won barely more than one in three Tests. Yes, they had lost to Italy for the first time. But they had also beaten Wales, and only narrowly lost to Ireland and France. Those are the kind of results that would ultimately have been enough to keep Jones in the job.
The mood had shifted entirely. Jones had represented the high point of Australian rugby. Under his coaching, the Wallabies’ valiant defeat to Jonny Wilkinson’s England at the home World Cup in 2003 established the side as Australia’s favourite international sporting brand.
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