Brendan Cannon lifts the lid on what it’s really like being coached by Eddie Jones

Eddie Jones’ hyped return to the Wallabies will bring a hardness to Australia, which is exactly what they need to win the World Cup according to a former Wallaby great.

JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA – JULY 06: James Slipper, Eddie Jones and Michael Hooper during the Australia men's national rugby team announcement at Sandton Sun on July 06, 2023 in Johannesburg, South Africa. (Photo by Lee Warren/Gallo Images)

Eddie Jones will reduce the Wallabies players to feeling like schoolchildren, and that is exactly what they’ll need to be a chance at this year’s World Cup.

That’s the prediction of former Wallabies hooker Brendan Cannon, who started in the 2003 team that Jones took all the way to the World Cup final.

Cannon revealed that Jones, a noted hard taskmaster, would do whatever it takes to improve the players he has, including carving them up in front of teammates.

“It’s like having a group of grown men feeling like they were back at school when the headmaster was speaking,” Cannon said.

“If he called your name at a team meeting, you got a sick feeling in your gut, and you felt like you were going to get in trouble.

“He may be small in stature, but his presence is large, it’s massive.”

Jones has returned to the Wallabies head coaching role after an 18-year hiatus that saw him help South Africa win the 2007 World Cup as an assistant, lead Japan to the greatest upset in history over the Springboks at the 2015 World Cup, and take England to an unrivalled winning streak and a famous World Cup semi-final win over the All Blacks at the previous World Cup.

Eddie Jones leaves a press conference after being sacked as Wallabies coach.

Jones’ Wallabies face the Boks in Pretoria (Sunday 1.10am AEST), and Cannon says Rugby Australia’s decision to sack Dave Rennie earlier this year was the correct choice.

“I never got to meet Dave Rennie, the commentary around him was that he was a ripper bloke, but I never felt there was an edge about him that made the team have an edge,” Cannon said.

“But I have first-hand experience with Eddie, I know how Eddie works – with the team and the media – and he is the package.

“And I’m more confident with Eddie coaching the Wallabies being a far more competitive, combative rugby side for the 80 minutes, and playing with a clear plan and understanding what we need to do, than what I was with Dave Rennie.

“Irrespective of what team South Africa have put out, any team that Eddie Jones coaches is going to be thoroughly prepared and ready to play.”

Former Wallabies coach Dave Rennie. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

Cannon said Jones would leave no stone unturned to make the Wallabies – ranked No. 7 in the world – a threat at this year’s major event in France.

“He was probably my only Wallabies coach, I was there from the euphoria of 2003 at the World Cup, and I was there at the end, I was on that last tour of his as Wallabies coach in 2005,” Cannon said.

“Eddie’s a guy that always tries to get the best out of everyone, and you have to get used to being comfortable being uncomfortable, because with Eddie Jones – he comes from a good place, trying to take you to a place you’ve never been.

“I missed out in 2002 end of year Wallabies tour, and we had a robust exchange in our phone conversation.

“When he came back from the tour, I thought ‘I’ve got to go catch up with him, Eddie’s the coach, I’ve got to work with him and see where he’s at’.

“We caught up and he said to me very simplistically, ‘Don’t try to be something you’re not, focus on what you’re good at an excel’.

“For me it was set piece. He said, ‘Make yourself a good scrummager and a good lineout thrower, make those two things your unquestionable strengths, and don’t try to be what everyone else is’.

“For instance, with Jeremy Paul, he said, ‘Don’t try to do what Jeremy does, he’s good at what he does, you’re good at other things, and you complement each other which will complement the team’.”

Brendan Cannon in action during the 2003 Rugby World Cup Final. Rugby Union A/CT

Cannon says while players may not like Jones’ abrupt communication – Rennie was well liked by the team because of his calm nature – they’ll be better for it.

“At the time you don’t appreciate the level of discomfort he puts you through, you don’t appreciate how you’re engaging with him and what’s happening, it makes you feel uncomfortable all the time,” Cannon said.

“But through maturity you go, ‘You know what, that was exactly needed at the time. I needed someone to take me to a place I hadn’t been before and a place I wasn’t comfortable being’.

“Him coming back, I think Australian rugby inherits a far more refined, worldly, experienced coach.”

Springboks director of rugby, Rassie Erasmus, is well aware of the threat of Jones as coach.

“He knows South Africa, he helped coach the Springboks team that won the 2007 World Cup, he knows our mentality,” Erasmus said.

“I always feel that a South African working with South Africans will get the best out of South Africans.

“Similarly, I think an Australian working with Australians will get the best out of them. He knows the Aussie setup.”

Erasmus said Jones “is like a box of chocolates — you never know what you are going to get”.

“It is difficult from a South African perspective to figure out what he will do,” Erasmus said.

“Australia have not played any warm-up games that would give us some insights.

“I do not know how much they will be able to change for us – but I do know that Eddie will try to get his team to outmuscle us.”

Australia has never won a Test match at Loftus Versfeld and will attempt to break a 60-year hoodoo in the opening Rugby Championship match.

Originally published as Brendan Cannon lifts the lid on what it’s really like being coached by Eddie Jones