Wallabies coach Eddie Jones to join Japan unless he gains more control at Rugby Australia
The full toll of Rugby Australia’s decision to sign Eddie Jones is becoming clearer by the day, and it appears destined to end in disaster – with two catastrophic scenarios possible.
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The farcical situation around the future of Wallabies coach Eddie Jones has plunged Australian rugby in a no-win situation that will damage its reputation for years and threaten its financial viability.
Jones, contracted to Rugby Australia until the end of 2027, is being strongly linked to the top job in Japan despite his own denials.
There are now two scenarios possible: Jones defects to Japan, leaving the Wallabies in a rabble; or he gains even more power over the national program following a review of the World Cup disaster.
Code Sports understands that Jones and Kiwi Tony Brown are the two contenders for Japan’s head coaching role, which is being vacated by Jamie Joseph.
Jones told RA chairman Hamish McLennan, who rushed him into the Wallabies post by sacking Dave Rennie in January, that while he’d had a standing offer from Japan he was not going to take it.
Then reports emerged that he’d held a job interview with Japan two weeks before the World Cup.
Jones has denied this to media and RA chief executive Phil Waugh. But notably, he would not offer his unequivocal allegiance to the Wallabies job in 2024, saying RA also had a choice to sack him.
So far RA has chosen to take Jones at his word, and backed him long-term.
Yet everyone keeps hearing that Jones is heading to Japan, from officials in England and Australia to journalists in Japan.
A media outlet in Japan says Jones will have another job interview in November.
Jones himself wants RA to introduce a centralised model where he’ll have full control of the national program and influence Super Rugby teams.
RA is looking to hire a national high performance manager, and names being linked to the role include RUPA boss Justin Harrison – who is close to Jones – as well as Rod Kafer, Morgan Turinui and Andy Friend.
Jones wants all Super Rugby clubs to fall under the program he plans to create, and if RA cannot get this centralisation model sorted he is threatening to walk.
The problem is that RA’s proposal for centralisation also includes a takeover of each club’s finances, which has been roundly rejected by Queensland, the Brumbies and Western Force.
By parachuting Jones into the Wallabies job on a four-and-a-half year deal, McLennan and Waugh have left themselves open to scrutiny, and will understand that a Jones departure could be fatal to their own futures at RA.
However, Wallabies fans have lost all trust in Jones, and trying to salvage their waning support at a time it’s most needed has to be the primary concern for the RA board which consists of McLennan, Waugh, Joe Roff, Brett Godfrey, Daniel Herbert, Pip Marlow, Dr Jane Wilson, Karen Penrose, and Matthew Hanning.
Jones holds the whip hand, because finding a replacement for him to take charge of the Wallabies will be difficult and expensive.
The preferred target, Dan McKellar, is contracted to English club Leicester Tigers until 2025.
Leicester lost head coach Steve Borthwick, and assistants Richard Wigglesworth and Tom Harrison to England for their World Cup campaign, a move that cost the RFU a reported $191,000 in exit fees to the club.
The Tigers then signed McKellar and former Wallabies assistant Laurie Fisher.
That duo would ideally replace Jones, but RA may not be able to afford the payout.
Brumbies head coach Stephen Larkham has even been thrown up by some as an intermediate solution, while RA try to entice McKellar back for the 2025 British & Irish Lions series.
But if these options prove too tricky, what can RA do?
They have three home Tests to sell for June next year against Wales (two games) and Fiji.
There aren’t many Wallabies supporters who’ll be reaching into their pockets to buy tickets if Jones is at the helm, because he’s lost their faith.
More pressingly, Super Rugby clubs will begin selling their 2024 season memberships soon.
With the state of the game as it is, most will hear crickets when they send offers.
This is while RA has been unable to secure private equity funding, and is seeking a loan of $90 million to stay afloat.
Jones, who will move to $1.2 million a year from 2024 should he remain Wallabies coach, would receive similar money in Japan.
How much is left and for who, when this sorry saga ends, is a question some at RA don’t want an answer to.
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Originally published as Wallabies coach Eddie Jones to join Japan unless he gains more control at Rugby Australia