Eddie Jones’ Rugby World Cup selection gamble threatens to backfire on Wallabies
Eddie Jones knows better than anyone the keys to a World Cup campaign and another dismal defeat has put the spotlight on a baffling call from the Wallabies coach.
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Of all the high-stakes gambles Eddie Jones has wagered since retaking the reins as Wallabies coach, the most reckless was not taking a proven goalkicker to the World Cup.
Jones can whine all his likes about how no-one believes in his bright vision for the future but the immediate focus is on the World Cup, kicking off in less than two weeks.
And right now, the Wallabies look longshots to win the tournament, having played five Tests matches in 2023 and lost them all — with their latest defeat a 41-17 drubbing by the host-nation France.
Beaten four tries to three, the final scoreline was worse than Australia’s performance actually was but the Wallabies only have themselves to blame for the lopsided margin.
Rookie flyhalf Carter Gordon — who has been handed the added responsibility of the goalkicking duties despite not being the first-choice kicker for his Super rugby side, the Rebels — landed just one of his five shots at the posts.
That’s 10 points that went begging but the most damaging aspect was the lost momentum and confidence that disappeared with those missed opportunities.
Goalkicking has always played a huge role in World Cups and no-one knows that better than Jones, who has been left clinging to the hope that Carter will get it right when it matters.
“All we can do is work with the young kid,” Jones said.
“We’ve got young kids in this team. We’re going to work with them. We’re backing him and he’ll get better. He’ll get better.”
Apart from his wayward kicking, Carter did have a good all-round game and his combination with halfback Tate McDermott continues to give hope to the Wallabies hope after the dire predictability of the old halves pairing of Nic White and Quade Cooper.
Defensively though, the Wallabies struggled, especially in the midfield, but will be stronger when Samu Kerevi returns for Australia’s opening match against Georgia on September 9.
An eternal optimist, Jones is adamant things will eventually get better — he just doesn’t know when.
“The scoreboard’s always important, don’t get me wrong, but we’ve got a greater aim than this game,” he said.
“We‘re not a bad team, but we’re not a good team yet.
“And it’s just we’re going through the process of becoming a good team.
“So we‘ve just got to keep believing, keep working hard and it will come.
“It might be in two weeks time against Georgia. It might be three weeks against Fiji. Might be four weeks against Wales. Might be five weeks against Portugal. We don’t know when it’s going to come.”
That half-baked promise of better days won’t appease the team’s long-suffering supporters, who heard the same drivel from the previous coach Dave Rennie and before him Michael Cheika.
They are used to being patient because they have been waiting a lifetime for the return to the glory days but it’s no less deflating.
The first country to win multiple World Cups, Australia’s second and most recent World Cup triumph was way back in 1999, before some of the current team members were even born.
But it’s not all doom and gloom, because the French are a very good team that a lot of experts are tipping to win the World Cup and the Wallabies were not disgraced in Paris.
The Wallaby forwards held their own in the set pieces and the Australians even dominated territory and possession in the first half, but failed to capitalise and went to the break trailing 16-5.
“Within the camp, we‘ve got a fair bit of confidence,” Jones said.
“Obviously, we‘d like to have a better win-loss record, but we’ve destabilised the team, we’ve taken away all the leadership that was there previously, we’ve got a new leadership team in place.
“We‘re trying to play a different way and the results haven’t been good enough. I’m not hiding away from that but we do have a longer term plan in terms of the World Cup, and that’s what we’re here for.
“Our scrum probably finished on top. Our lineout was good. I thought the way we were able to negate France‘s defence was pretty good. We just didn’t execute it well enough.
“We scored three good tries, and I like the way the players kept fighting. I really enjoyed that. We‘ve been a team that’s been known to go away and we kept fighting.”
Former NRL winger Suliasi Vunivalu also vindicated the faith Jones has shown in him by producing by far his best game to date in the gold jersey.
With Marika Koroibete to return, Jones suddenly has depth in some key positions. He just needs the team to start winning again.
We‘ve got more players improving than declining,” Jones said.
“Suli‘s one who at Super Rugby level he couldn’t blow a candle out. And now at test level, he scored one good try and could have scored a couple more.
“He looks like he‘s ready to play at the highest level.
“We‘ve got a lot of players improving. What we haven’t got is that fit at the moment, that fit of everyone getting together.
“But we‘ve got another two weeks to get ready for Georgia and we’ll move down that track pretty well.”
Originally published as Eddie Jones’ Rugby World Cup selection gamble threatens to backfire on Wallabies
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