Super Rugby Pacific hasn’t started yet, and Test matches are still months away, but Wallabies coach Eddie Jones has already made a difference in Australia.
Rugby Australia stunned the world last month as they sensationally replaced Dave Rennie with Jones about eight months out from this year’s World Cup in France.
The decision received mixed reviews from rugby pundits and fans, but the decision certainly highlighted the Wallabies’ intent to shock the world.
But Jones, who coached the Wallabies to a World Cup final in 2003, returned home to a very different sporting landscape Down Under.
The popularity of the 15-player game isn’t what it used to be in Australia, but Jones is doing everything he can to change that.
Former Wallabies fullback Greg Martin praised the legendary coach for helping the sport “make a little bit more noise.”
“He’s now four weeks in and rugby hasn’t played a game yet, Super Rugby hasn’t started, and it’s still in the papers. He’s getting attention,” Jones told Martin Devlin on The Platform.
“Everyone wants to talk to him because he’s ‘Mr grab a quote from.’ You can always get a quote from Eddie.
“80 per cent of it might be his coaching but at least 20 per cent is his ability to market the game because journos gobble that up because he makes it easy for them.
“I don’t know if we’re any good on the field but we’ll certainly make a little bit more noise off the field and steal a bit of attention from the media.
“He’s still a good thing at this stage.”
The Wallabies are coming off a disastrous campaign last year, which saw them win just five Test matches.
While an incredible comeback win over Wales in Cardiff saw the men in gold finish their season on a high, the writing was seemingly already on the wall for Dave Rennie.
Rugby is a results driven business – that’s ultimately all that matters – but the injury crisis that swept through the Wallabies squad last year also can’t be ignored.
As Martin discussed, 53 players donned Wallaby gold last year.
But with the World Cup just around the corner, Jones’ appointment could breathe new life into the Test careers of some forgotten Wallaby stars.
“Eddie Jones is getting around, he’s going to watch all the trial matches,” he said.
“How many All Blacks players played in Test matches last year? We had 53 players get a Test for Australia last year.
“Eddie Jones is going, ‘Hold on, I’m going to pick and stick early.’
“(The players who have been) ignored are going, ‘Hold on, fresh start, we’ve got rid of that (Dave) Rennie bloke, now Eddie Jones might like me.’ That’s now, hopefully, what’s going to happen.
“That’s probably the most exciting thing, our Super Rugby teams are going to all be going mad from the word go to get the tick of approval from Eddie.”
Super Rugby Pacific gets underway on Friday with a New Zealand derby blockbuster between the champion Crusaders and Chiefs in Christchurch.
Later that night, Australian rugby kicks off with a crunch clash between rivals the NSW Waratahs and Brumbies.
