Machine guns, barbies and Malbec: David Kidwell’s wild rugby ride takes new twist in Japan

Despite an assistant coaching job under the notorious Eddie Jones being a daunting role to have, former New Zealand rugby league coach David Kidwell said he’s got nothing to worry about as he talks about his journey with JAMIE PANDARAM.

Eddie Jones is notorious for churning through his support staff, which is exactly why David Kidwell wanted to work for him.

“I like challenges, it keeps me motivated,” Kidwell said.

So having been let go by Argentina after last year’s World Cup, former Kiwis coach and player Kidwell has just signed a four-year deal to become Jones’ defensive coach for Japan, through to the 2027 World Cup in Australia.

“Supposedly Eddie chews through all his assistant coaches, well, I’m not going to be one of those coaches. I am going to be coach that’s going to be there until the end of my contract,” Kidwell told this masthead.

“That’s a challenge for myself, that’s how I am as a person. And obviously if you’re doing a good job then you’re going to stay.”

It’s another unexpected move for the 47-year-old, who was lured from the Parramatta Eels to Argentina by Michael Cheika two years ago.

David Kidwell wants to be there for the whole four years. Picture: AAP Image

Jones, whose second tenure as Wallabies coach ended in disastrous fashion when Australia was knocked out in the pool stage – Cheika and Kidwell took the Pumas to the semi-finals – is now building a team to shock the world in three years.

It’s understood that Kidwell will join a Japan coaching staff that also includes Springboks legend Victor Matfield and former All Blacks prop Owen Franks.

And all it took was a simple email.

“It would have been great to stay in Argentina, I built some strong relationships there, but they moved in a different direction and I left on good terms there, so after getting back from the World Cup I decided to reach out to Eddie,” Kidwell said.

“I got his email, emailed him and when you email someone you think they might email back the next day, but within two minutes, boom, an email comes back saying, ‘Yeah mate, interested’.

“I was with my wife at the time and we both looked at each other and thought ‘Oh wow’.

“We had a couple of conversations over the phone, talked a bit of rugby, talked a bit of family stuff, I got a really good feeling from Eddie.

Eddie Jones responded to Kidwell in minutes. Picture: Getty Images

“Even though there is a perception of him and obviously what he’s been through, I’m the type of person who will take people on their face value and make my own opinions.

“I talked to a couple of people I’m close to in rugby circles, and they said it’s a good move. So over the course of four to five weeks my management at Wasserman worked out a deal and I go to Japan [on Saturday].

“I’m excited about it, that’s for sure. I’m looking forward to progressing Japan into a world class rugby team.

“My focus is to make Japan an international force, and I think I can add some things to help get them there.”

Kidwell’s prime international gig highlights the growing influence talent agency Wasserman now has on rugby. Along with Jones, Dave Rennie and Dan McKellar on their books, Wasserman has secured the rights to the 2025 British & Irish Lions series in Australia.

Kidwell’s four-year deal means he’s unlikely to return to league in the foreseeable future.

“I’d been in rugby league 26 years straight, played 14, coached 13, and obviously when Michael Cheika approached me over a coffee, the chance to coach in another code at the top level, international rugby, it was an opportunity I couldn’t turn down,” Kidwell said.

“And I thank Parramatta and Brad Arthur for understanding that’s where I wanted to go, and then going to the Rugby World Cup last year in France was an unbelievable experience.

Kidwell loves his time with Argentina. Picture: Getty Images

“I loved that theatre, that pinnacle of a sport. It was like playing five grand finals in a row, just the people, the spectacle, the atmosphere, the different countries and supporters, and I wanted more of it.

“My experience in coaching, 13 years in rugby league, it’s a churn for 11 months a year.

“I know I bring a point of difference, I bring a different lens to the game of rugby. That’s why Cheik brought me on.

“I’m pretty strong in my views in terms on contact, I know what works and what doesn’t. I’ve seen both sides of the game, that was the big adjustment for me coming from league.”

The international coaching opportunity also allowed Kidwell to see the world in a new way.

“One of the attractions of the job was to travel the world, immerse yourself in different cultures,” he said.

How will Kidwell go alongside Jones? Picture: Getty Images

“Buenos Aires is one of the best cities in the world, an amazing city, and their fans are unreal. The singing, the dancing, experiencing other cultures and just realising how big international rugby is around the world – South Africa, France, England, Argentina – is incredible.

“I’d never been to Argentina before, and what I quickly realised is that over there, you’re either rich or you’re poor, there’s no middle class.

“We went to a place, San Juan, and I looked out the team bus and there were 30 cops beside us, all with massive machine guns.

“This was serious stuff, you’d never experience that in Sydney or New Zealand, not cops with machine guns that size.

“But there was a lot of fun to be had too. They love their barbecues over there, the asado, a whole cow cut up and put on the charcoal barbecue – and it’s only the forwards who cook it in the team environment, no backs.

“Every Wednesday night we’d have asado, the Argentinian Malbec wine, muy bien. It just got me thinking, they remind me amuoy lot of Aussies and Kiwis, around the Barbie, love a feed and a wine, talking.

“Then I went to South Africa for the first time, to Durban. You have a perception about South Africa and it was totally different to what I thought. There’s good and bad parts about every country, but I would definitely go back there with my wife.

“I’d never have had the opportunity to go to South Africa, Portugal, if it hadn’t been for rugby. I’m not getting any younger, was rugby league going to get me to those countries? Probably not. And to experience those things, and work within a game, has been phenomenal.”