In advance of the 2023 Rugby World Cup, Rugby Australia has fired Dave Rennie, and Eddie Jones will take over as the Wallabies coach.
As Eddie Jones made a stunning comeback as Australia coach after Dave Rennie was fired just months before the Rugby World Cup in France began, the Wallabies have been warned to buckle up for the ride.
Jones was granted the position after Rennie’s term was ended with immediate effect by Rugby Australia on Monday following a succession of dismal defeats that saw the squad slip to eighth in the world. Rennie had been without a job since being fired by England at the end of last year.
Despite having the best victory percentage of any England coach, Jones was fired in December. Fortunately, he didn’t have to wait long for another opportunity to present itself because he recently secured a five-year contract with RA to manage the following two men’s World Cup campaigns.
He will also assume leadership of the Wallaroos program in a “world-first” role structure as Rugby Australia moves the women’s game closer to a professional future.
Eddie Jones returns as Wallabies coach
Giving Jones the keys was a dangerous move, according to Wallabies legend Tim Horan, but it might pay off for RA if he can swiftly improve the team’s performance.
Horan wrote, “Eddie Jones as new Wallabies coach… bold and carries some risk. But given the Wallabies’ recent win-loss record, it might be worthwhile to take the risk. To support the choice, we’ll need a Bledisloe Cup within the next two years, a RWC semifinal, and a Lions victory. Put your seatbelt on and buckle up.
The Australian is back in the position he held from 2001 to 2005, when he led his squad to the Sydney final of the 2003 Rugby World Cup. He claimed that the opportunity to lead his nation once more in the world’s premier competition was too fantastic to pass up.
As a patriotic Aussie, it is a great honor to be able to return home and guide the national side during these years. It is going to be a huge time for Australian rugby, Jones said.
I am optimistic that we can travel to France and end the 24-year Rugby World Cup drought if we can have everyone healthy and fit for the World Cup this year. The Wallabies squad is made up of a tremendously quality bunch of players with solid depth.
I witnessed the Wallaroos’ bravery during the Rugby World Cup in New Zealand last year; it appears that squad has a genuine spirit that will advance the women’s program before their next World Cup in 2025.
The appointment of Jones, 62, as a coach was hailed by Rugby Australia chairman Hamish McLennan as a “huge coup” and the “greatest coach in the world.
According to McLennan, Eddie’s in-depth knowledge of our rugby system and comprehension of our player group and routes will raise the team to the next level.
Eddie naturally knows the Australian style of playing rugby; this offers a chance to secure a coach of enormous ability and experience at the major competitions, and we did not want to miss it,” said the team.
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