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Rugby Australia chief executive Phil Waugh says he took Eddie Jones’ word that he hadn’t had any contact with a view to becoming coach of Japan and declared the Wallabies need to be a “team of integrity” after a messy chapter in Australian rugby.
Jones is poised to be unveiled as Brave Blossoms coach this week in Tokyo, pending a final sign-off from the Japan Rugby Football Union board on Wednesday.
Waugh confronted Jones over this masthead’s report the coach had interviewed with Japan before the World Cup. Jones told Waugh he was completely committed to Australian rugby.
“I took Eddie on his word,” Waugh told reporters after a Super Rugby Pacific board meeting in Auckland. “We’ve got to be a game of integrity and a team of integrity.
“It hasn’t been named officially yet. Eddie finished with Rugby Australia on the 25th of November. We’re moving forward with hopefully announcing a new head coach of the Wallaroos this week, a new director of high performance and [we are] in the market for a new head coach of the Wallabies. I made my comments at the World Cup and I still stand by those comments.”
Jones resigned in late October, before sitting for a second interview with Japan last week in Tokyo, as revealed by this masthead.
Rugby Australia chief executive Phil Waugh, and outgoing head coach Eddie Jones.Credit: James Brickwood; Getty
This masthead revealed during the recent World Cup in France that Jones took part in a secret Zoom call with Japan rugby officials just days before the start of the Wallabies’ campaign and with more than four years to run on his deal with Australia.
Jones has denied links to the Japan head coaching role more than a dozen times.
During the World Cup, Waugh and former chairman Hamish McLennan were criticised for not asking Japan whether Jones had interviewed for the vacant head coach role.
RA and the JRFU signed a memorandum of understanding earlier this year “with the objective of building a stronger relationship between the two unions”. Jones’ likely unveiling by Japan could lead to tension between the unions.
Eddie Jones at his press conference after Australia’s 40-6 loss to Wales.Credit: Getty
However, Waugh says he doesn’t feel the need to bring the issue up with Japan.
“We’ll play a lot of Test matches against Japan and we look forward to continuing that strong partnership,” Waugh said. “I’m not going to buy into speculation around what may have happened or may have occurred. We are moving forward to putting all those appointments in place and building a really strong culture for the Wallabies going forward.”
The Wallabies’ Tests against Japan in 2025 will now have added spice following the Jones episode.
“There will be a lot of internationals between the Wallabies and Japan,” Waugh said. “We look forward to those contests, as we do every Test match.”
Waugh is eager to move past a nightmare year which saw the Wallabies win just two of their nine Tests and fail to make it out of the pool stages at the World Cup.
McLennan left the chairman’s role last month.
“We certainly passed on our regards to Hamish and wished him well at the time of his resignation,” said New Zealand Rugby boss Mark Robinson. “There was enough said on both sides of the Tasman back then. We’re moving on. There’s a strong ANZAC spirit between the countries.”
Next year’s Super Rugby Pacific season begins on February 23.
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