Eddie Jones expects to be in his next job 'very shortly'
The irrepressible Eddie Jones has promised heâll be back in a rugby job âvery shortlyâ as he left the scene of his latest losing coaching role in Cardiff.
Jones couldnât resist the teasing response to AAP as he scooted away from the Principality Stadium on Saturday night (Sunday AEDT), having just led the Barbarians to a 49-26 defeat in a one-off coaching gig, just five days after quitting the Australia job.
Asked whether the rugby world would see him back in another job, perhaps another national team role again, following the Barbariansâ thumping defeat by Wales, the 63-year-old responded on the run: âA hundred per cent, hundred per cent ⌠very shortly, very shortly.â
Pressed further, he just scuttled off to the team coach, grinning.
Jonesâs name has been consistently linked with a role with Japanese rugby, where he was once the national team coach, but he again denied earlier in the week that he had had any job interviews or offers.
But at the end of a dramatic week which started with him walking away from Australia and ended with him reuniting with 10 Wallaby Barbarians in another defeat by Wales, Jones did have some brief parting words of encouragement for the team heâd left behind.
There were eight of his World Cup squad in the Baa Baas team, and they largely all performed with distinction in Saturdayâs non-cap international in a 49-26 defeat, reminding Jones of the potential he was walking away from.
Had it been a bittersweet day, working again with them? âNo, itâs a different thing, different role, different relationship, but you just want to see them do well,â said Jones.
âAnd they did very well. I think Tom Hooper showed heâs going to be a real player of the future. And (Angus) Bellâs gonna be a player, heâll be a world XV player.â
His praise echoed the theme of his pre-match observations that Australian rugby will rise again.
âTheyâll be alright, mate,â he said of the future Wallabies. âThose players are going to be much better because theyâve had experience, theyâve had a tough World Cup campaign and sometimes you need that.
âItâs given them a bit more resilience, a bit more work ethic, and thereâs good young players there, so I think theyâll be fine, mate.â
And would they be competitive when the British and Irish Lions come visiting in 2025?
âItâll be huge, be huge. Australiaâs a proud sporting nation and when theyâre not doing well, everythingâs bad. Not dissimilar to England.
âBut a little bit success and itâll go up â and the Lions is a huge series. Because itâs like âHome and Awayâ, isnât it? A little soap opera in its own right.â
A bit like his own endlessly fascinating career, Jones might have added.
Who can ever take this clown seriously ever again whenever wherever . . . and ever . . . ?
We already have enough problems in SA without needing to add another in the form of Eddie. And we already have the best coach in the world so thanks but no thanks. đ
Wild guessâŚJapan?
Got to be Japan - they're the only ones who'll sit there and meekly take his âcoachingââŚ
Maybe Rassie is going to bring him in. Lol. đł