Luke Jones lost to Aussie rugby again, the female ‘Jonah Lomu’, and Alaalatoa’s jersey message

AUSTRALIA to lose another Wallaby thanks to the Super Rugby saga, Randwick unearths the female ‘Jonah Lomu’, Crusaders prop’s nod to Wallabies.

Former Wallaby Luke Jones (left) says he won’t be returning to Australian rugby despite interest from the Rebels.

THE Super Rugby downsizing saga that swamped 2017 scuttled the possibility of Luke Jones returning to Australian rugby - for now, at least.

Jones is back in Australia this week after securing a release from his French club Bordeaux to play for the Barbarians against the Wallabies.

With a young daughter and a son due next February, Jones told us he’d been keen to return to Melbourne next year and to try to add to his three Wallabies caps.

Former Wallaby Luke Jones (left) says he won’t be returning to Australian rugby despite interest from the Rebels.

He spoke with the Rebels but with contractual uncertainty still swirling in the wake of the ARU’s decision to shut down the Force, a deal couldn’t be done in time and Jones recently extended at Bordeaux until 2019. He is now looking at the options to make a return before the 2019 World Cup, and a late selection bid a la Dean Mumm in 2015.

“I am definitely keen to come back at some point. It’s nice to hear that the door is open and if the opportunity presented itself, then yeah, I would come back,” Jones said.

“It is something that I will eventually do but it’s just a timing thing. Sometimes it doesn’t all line up as you’d like it to.

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“Melbourne is where we will end up long-term. We love Melbourne.”

Jones said the tough French competition had made him a better player and there’s little doubt Australian rugby could do with a few more jumping no.6s.

ALAALATOA’S NOD TO WALLABIES

AUSSIE-raised Crusaders prop Mike Alaalatoa was denied clearance by his club to play for the Barbarians against the Wallabies - and his younger brother Allan - on Saturday given the late notice.

But could we be seeing Alaalatoa back in Australia on a more permanent basis after he comes off contract with the NZRU next year?

Alaalatoa, 26, played for NSW before moving to New Zealand in 2015 because - crazily - no Aussie Super Rugby franchise wanted him.

The 135kg prop has since won a Super Rugby title and been mentioned as a future All Black.

With Alaalatoa’s contract up next year, we hear Aussie scouts are now awake and interested in getting Mike home too.

Brothers Allan and Mike Alaalatoa.

And here is where the conspiracy theorists come in.

Mike was in the stands in Brisbane cheering on Allan as they beat the All Blacks last week, wearing a Wallabies tracksuit top.

We asked Mike if there was a hidden message.

“It was just one of (Allan’s) tops, I just asked him for one to show support,” Mike said.

“I was just up there to support my brother. It was good to be there to be with my family and see the Wallaby boys get the job done.”

WATCH OUR FEMALE ‘JONAH LOMU’ IN FULL FLIGHT

AUSTRALIA now has a female “Jonah Lomu”, and she will be unleashed by Randwick Magic at the Central Coast Sevens tournament this weekend.

Eva Karpani is 103kg, 180cm, and clocks an astonishing 8.4 metres per second at top speed - quicker than some Wallabies players.

The 21-year-old former junior Olympian was a star of the inaugural ARU University Women’s Sevens competition and her Jonah Lomu-like highlights reel has gone viral online.

The Central Coast Sevens, seen as the toughest invitational club Sevens tournament in the world, will be played over Saturday and Sunday at Wyong Rugby League Club.

SKILLS AND THRILLS AT ARU’S NEW DIGS

THE new Rugby Australia-UTS headquarters at Moore Park will be officially opened on Friday afternoon by a gaggle of pollies and suit-wearing types.

But one of the most significant moments in recent history in Aussie rugby happened in near-anonymity at the new digs on Wednesday afternoon.

As part of the new One Plan “collaborative” coaching push, all Super Rugby and Wallabies coaches gathered again for a skills clinic by Mick Byrne.

Like strength and conditioning systems, all Aussie teams are now going to use the skills programs built by Byrne and used successfully by the Wallabies and the All Blacks before them.

Byrne ran all the coaches through the skills drills on the new indoor half-field at the ARU’s new home, with the coaches as the guinea pigs.

Picture the scene: Daryl Gibson lined up, passing to Nathan Grey, who feeds Dave Wessels and then onto Sam Cordingley.

The top minds of Australian rugby, literally working as a team. Who’d have thought?

ALAN JONES - THE BARBARIAN KING

BARBARIANS players are slowly getting to grips with their “old school” coach Alan Jones this week.

It’s been three decades but Jones has, it seems, lost none of his intensity on the training field.

Barbarians trainings are usually quite lighthearted but Jones has been cracking the whip from his spot in the middle of their sessions. Or attempting to, anyway.

Jonesy takes a spill.

Now 76, Jones showed no signs of his ill-health when he took a tumble early in the training at Waverley Oval.

Players were a bit concerned but he popped back up.

FoxSports will put a mic on Jones for his pre-game address in their telecast on Saturday.

DRINK IT IN...

CONCERNED about talk of a dry Barbarians camp this week? Don’t be.

WALLABIES WIN WHIPS FANS INTO FRENZY

THE impact of the Wallabies’ win over the All Blacks helped kick along ticket sales to the BaaBaas game.

We’re told the daily sales tripled this week after the Aussies finally broke the trans-Tasman drought after 36 straight losses at Super and Test level.

Winx winning the Cox Plate will be shown live on the big screen at Allianz Stadium after the BaaBaas clash, which kicks off at 3pm.

A HARD EARNED THIRST...

QUADE Cooper was on water duties for the Barbarians’ match against the Classic Wallabies in Lismore but he had a special liquid to refresh Drew Mitchell. Tucked in the bottle carrier was a cold beer for Mitchell, and the former Wallabies winger took a good swig when it was offered.

RANDWICK’S MELON GALLOPS AWAY

ONE of the Classic Wallabies players had to wear his club shorts in the game because an assistant coach of the team took a pair and planned on running out in the last quarter of the BaaBaas clash in Lismore.

It turned out to be a bit more willing and tense than expected, so the shorts stayed tracksuited for our man who we won’t name but goes by the nickname Melon and now coaches Randwick.

FRINGE WALLABY TO DECIDE CLUB FUTURE

NEW Wallabies centre Bill Meakes is tipped to sign with Melbourne Rebels within days, adding to a star-studded side that will feature Will Genia and a host of Western Force players including Adam Coleman and Dane Haylett-Petty.

Meakes has been offered contracts by Melbourne and NSW.

“There’s a lot of positives for both clubs between the Waratahs and Melbourne but I’ll make a decision in the next couple of days and that decision will be best for my rugby,” Meakes said.

“With Dave Wessels going to Melbourne, obviously we had a fantastic year and we built so much and we had so much more in the tank for next year in Perth but it wasn’t meant to be.

“To be able to continue that at Melbourne would be something pretty special.”

In another twist, we hear Curtis Rona is also leaning towards the Rebels.

FINALLY SOME RNR FOR HODDGSON

IF anyone deserves a week of rugby frivolity and fun it is Western Force legend Matt Hodgson, who has been the rock for his teammates this year.

Hodgson plays for the Barbarians against the Wallabies on Saturday, and for 80 minutes won’t have to think about the demise of his club and fallout for teammates.

Former Force skipper Matt Hodgson. Picture: Colin Murty/The Australian

“The hardest part is there is a base now that are trying to work out their future and not getting offers elsewhere, which is frustrating from my point of view seeing them stuck there when they thought they had contracts locked in,” Hodgson said.

“Some of those people have families they’ll have to uproot and leave Perth, which is annoying.

“It’s been a long year, it’s been the hardest year of my life in footy, I fell out of love with the game for a while, but weeks like this with the BaaBaas is pretty exciting.

“It makes you remember why you pick up the ball for the first time, and that’s to enjoy it and go out there to express yourself.”

WE’RE WITH YOU, DOWLO

OUR thoughts are with one of the great men of Subbies rugby, Petersham’s Rob Dowling, who is fighting a tough battle against cancer at the moment.

The father of three, known to all as “Dowlo”, is a popular stalwart of the Shammies after playing 164 games for the club, dating back to 2004. He was stoked when Petersham became the best Subbies club in NSW this year, winning the Kentwell Cup and becoming club champions in 2017.

Wallabies greats like John Eales, Phil Kearns and Tim Horan all sent video messages and best wishes to Dowlo this week. We do the same, and to his wife Laura, and kids Emily, Madison and Sam.

Originally published as Luke Jones lost to Aussie rugby again, the female ‘Jonah Lomu’, and Alaalatoa’s jersey message