Rugby World Cup 2023: Wallabies coach Eddie Jones says winless Australia can still win trophy

When the World Cup comes around in September, the Wallabies might still be winless in 2023. But if that happens, Eddie Jones still thinks Australia can ‘one hundred percent’ win the trophy.

BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA - JULY 19: Wallabies Coach Eddie Jones speaks during the British & Irish Lions 2025 Tour of Australia Launch at Lina Rooftop on July 19, 2023 in Brisbane, Australia. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)

Eddie Jones is adamant the Wallabies can still lift the World Cup without winning a game beforehand, but Cup-winning captain Nick Farr-Jones has expressed serious doubt about Australia’s chances following two inept losses to start 2023.

Following defeats to South Africa and Argentina in their opening two matches under Jones, the Wallabies now face the daunting task of beating the All Blacks in two Bledisloe Cup Tests, before a warm-up against World Cup favourites France, before their campaign begins on September 9 against Georgia in Paris.

Given the lacklustre performances thus far, and New Zealand’s fast start to the Rugby Championship along with their two-decade dominance over Australia, there is a strong chance the Wallabies could begin their World Cup campaign winless this year.

Asked if his team could still mount a confident campaign with zero wins, Wallabies coach Jones replied: “One hundred percent.

Eddie Jones is backing his Wallabies to win the World Cup even if they don’t win a match beforehand in 2023. Picture: Getty Images

“These are important games, very important games, we’ve got the Bledisloe Cup, we haven’t won it in 22 years, but what you do at the World Cup as to what you do before the World Cup is two completely different things.

“I was involved with South Africa in 2007, we won one of our Tri Nations games. Japan in 2015, we won one of five warm-up games.

“It’s how you use the games, you’ve got to be strategic about using the games to get yourself right, particularly coming in as a new coach at the moment, every game is a learning experience for me.

“And certainly we’d like to have much better results, we’d like to have two wins, but that’s not the case and it doesn’t mean we’re not learning for the World Cup.”

But Farr-Jones, who skippered Australia to global glory in 1991, says the clear lack of confidence in a team used to losing does not bode well.

“You want to win your next Test, there’s no doubt about it, but I think it’s a developing period, we’ve got a lot of potentially good young people coming through,” Farr-Jones said.

“Vis-a-vis the World Cup, it’s not looking great. You can’t hide behind the facts and the way we’re playing.

“There can’t be many guys out there filled with confidence.

“The one blessing we have, is that we’ve got a damn good draw. If we don’t make the semi-final, it will be a disaster.”

Phil Waugh, Nick Farr-Jones and Tim Horan speak during the British & Irish Lions 2025 Tour of Australia Launch. Picture: Getty Images

The Wallabies have Wales and Fiji as the danger opponents in their group. Should they get through, they’re likely to play England or Argentina in the quarters.

But the first task is to put up a fight against the All Blacks on July 29 in Melbourne, and Jones believes he can orchestrate a miracle.

“I quite fancy ourselves against New Zealand, they haven’t been put under any pressure yet and I think we’ve got the ability to put them under some pressure,” Jones said.

“I like coaching against New Zealand, it’s like the highlight of the year.”

Jones’ boss, Rugby Australia chief executive Phil Waugh, said the fresh start under the coach – following the sacking of Dave Rennie earlier this year – is not ideal.

“Everyone has been disappointed, we went in with so much optimism,” Waugh said.

“We went to Pretoria, start really well, don’t turn pressure into points and then they do. At Loftus it gets away from you, you’re down 17-5, they score after half-time and the game just slips away. Argentina, patches were good, again a fast start but again they didn’t score as many points as they should have in that first 10, 15 minutes and the Argies got back into it.

“Ill-disciple, Eddie talked about it, but I think more broadly we’ve got to have aspirations to be No.1 in the world, we’ve got to work really hard and build that real Australian culture of fighting hard.

“That’s been our competitive edge for a long time, I think Eddie coming back and driving that passion and pride back into the jersey is going to be really important.”

Jones, Waugh, Farr-Jones and a host of Wallaby greats gathered in Brisbane on Wednesday as RA released the official tour program for the 2025 British & Irish Lions tour that includes a new game against a combined Australian and New Zealand invitational team.

The three Tests will be played in Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney, and up to 40,000 international visitors are expected to flock to Australia for the tour.

The All Blacks will be hosting France at the same time as the Lions series, so Waugh is hoping ex-All Blacks will make themselves available for the combined Invitational team, which may also include South African and Argentinian players.

Waugh suggested an additional Wallabies warm-up match could be added to the series to help their preparations.