Players on edge as Eddie returns
AUSTRALIA’S players are “s***ing themselves” about Eddie Jones becoming their new head coach eight months before the Rugby World Cup.
Jones, 62, was sacked by England last month after poor displays in the Autumn Series but last week suddenly took over running of the Wallabies.
The whole squad was left shocked that Jones was replacing Dave Rennie as they build up to face Georgia, Fiji, Wales and Portugal in group action in the Finals in France this September and October.
And Jones’s hard-nosed attitude and intense, demanding reputation have been the talking point of the Aussie dressing room. Scrum-half Nic White said: “Obviously a few emotions there. We had just done a camp with Dave and set the scene around the World Cup and we had been with Dave for three years.
“Initially, you’re saddened that he is not able to take us through to the World Cup.
“But the guy coming in, Eddie Jones, an amazing coach, a guy who a lot of us admire what he’s done and are pretty excited.
“Excited and I guess everyone is kind of quietly, you know, (s***ing) themselves about Eddie coming in.
“Mate, he’s a world class coach so there is a bit of excitement there but he is also a whole lot of unknown for us players. It has been a ride.”
Ned Hanigan claimed the players only discovered the news at the same time as the public on January 16, when Rugby Australia dropped their bombshell press release.
The back-rower said: “We were back in and, yeah … News got delivered. Rens is out, Eddie is in. Jaw hit the ground, it was all a bit of a shock. But it is an exciting year, nevertheless.”