Jason Ryles says hard-nosed Eddie Jones making Wallabies better

Jason Ryles hadn’t even thought about the rugby World Cup until he got an SOS call from coach Eddie Jones.

Wallabies assistant coach Jason Ryles answered an SOS from Eddie Jones. Picture: Chris Hyde/Getty Images

Jason Ryles has revealed he was “painting my house” when he got an SOS call from Wallabies coach Eddie Jones to be part of the World Cup campaign.

Having worked with Jones during his time with England, the Melbourne-Storm bound NRL assistant coach said the hard-nosed Wallabies boss was driving standards to make players better.

The Wallabies will open their World Cup campaign against Georgia without a victory in five Tests under Jones this year.

Ryles conceded there would always be “tough bits” as players adjusted to Jones’s coaching and playing style, but he was adamant the Wallabies would be a better team than they’d shown so far when the rolled out for the tournament opener in Paris on Sunday morning.

“What I like is that, like it or not, he challenges you every day,” Ryles said on Jones.

“At the time sometimes you‘re thinking, ‘Oh, I wonder why he’s done’ that, but then you look at it a couple of days later and you think, ‘I totally get it now’. Again, it’s his experience and his will and drive to want to get better every single day.

“It’s a really old cliche at the moment because there’s so much stuff out there, but he genuinely lives it and then he drives it and expects it from his staff and his players and he has different ways of doing it. That’s what I liked.

Jason Ryles says he will be a better coach after working with Eddie Jones. Picture: Chris Hyde/Getty Images

“I know when I worked with him, at the end of it, there might be some tough bits through the middle, but at the end of it, I‘m going to be a better coach and that’s plain and simple. I think that’s the same with the players as well. When players play under him, often they become better players.”

Ryles, who will join the Storm next year and is in the box seat to take over from coach Craig Bellamy when he eventually steps away, is set to advise Jones on the Wallabies attack during the World Cup and is “refining” what is already in place.

“The attack is implemented, so I’m assisting Eddie with the attack,” Ryles said.

“He takes the lead and then I basically do a lot of the legwork for him, so it is about as simple as that.

“It‘s heading in the right direction and it’s a Wallabies style. What I’ve picked up really quickly is that it’s less structured, it’s more about playing to the players’ strengths and then building the game plan in and around that.

“The systems are in place and now it’s just about refining and evolving and making sure that we’re improving every session.”

Part of the World Cup attacking plans include servicing former high-flying NRL winger Suliasi Vunivalu and Mark Nawaqanitawase with high balls to take advantage of their aerial prowess.

“It‘s there to see, it’s certainly one of their strengths.

“That‘s one of the things you would have seen in the France game, that Suli and Mark had opportunities in the air one-on-one in those contestables.

“That‘s certainly something that we’re moving towards and building on.

“It‘s a strength of ours and it’s something that when the time’s right we want to make sure we give them an opportunity to show what they can do.”

Suliasi Vunivalu catches a high-ball against South Africa (Photo by PHILL MAGAKOE / AFP)

Ryles said he jumped at the chance to rejoin Jones when his old boss contacted him out of the blue when attack coach Brad Davis stepped down on the eve of the tournament.

“(On) Wednesday a couple of weeks ago that afternoon, he contacted me and then on Sunday, I was on a plane over here (to France), so it was really quick.

“It’s a great opportunity and I’m just glad I did it. It’s been a great bunch of blokes and they’re all looking to get better and chasing that World Cup, so it’s a great opportunity to be a part of that.

“I was actually renovating my house. I was actually painting my house, doing real work and then got the phone call, no better way to spend the last two months of my little break than with these guys in France, chasing a World Cup.”