Eddie eyes end to ‘dark’ times

Last summer in Australia, Eddie Jones did not seem himself. He was the England coach, trying to plot a route to winning the World Cup, and back in his homeland where he had led his adopted nation to a spiky, confrontational 3-0 series win in 2016. The “Bodyline tour” he had called it, knowing it would rile the locals.

But this time something was different. There was no fanfare for the 2022 England-australia series, only a smattering of home journalists following the games as rugby league’s boxoffice State of Origin event stole the show, and no Ashesstyle animosity.

He missed the back-andforth, the mind games with his old mate Michael Cheika, with whom he had sparred verbally six years before.

In Perth and Brisbane, around the first two Tests, Jones was notably subdued. Dave Rennie, the Wallabies coach, hid the Australians away from the Test towns and made it clear he would not engage in a slanging match.

“In 2016 we had Cheika here and there was a bit of niggle,” Jones said at the time. “It was good Australian sport. This time it feels like ... I don’t know what it feels like. I prefer it like that but you can’t spar against nothing. I like a bit of fun.”

He was dismayed how rugby union had become so irrelevant since his days as Australia coach in the 2000s, when the Wallabies were dominant and a hot ticket.

Jones did not know then what would unfold in the following 11 months. In December he was sacked by England and by January he had returned as Australia coach, the job he left in tears in 2005.

“When the opportunity came I jumped at it because rugby is in a fairly dark place and needs a bit of energy, needs a bit of direction,” Jones said.

“I can only do my bit coaching the national team but I can do a job selling the game there, which I have taken on, so I am enjoying it.”

He feels “like a volunteer” back in Australia and is calling the short-term project to try to win the World Cup in France a “smash-and-grab” plan.