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Saint-Etienne: All Blacks great Andrew Mehrtens has described Wallabies coach Eddie Jones’ job interview with Japanese rugby on the eve of the Rugby World Cup as a “horrific” look and believes senior figures at Rugby Australia are showing a “lack of humility” during a calamitous time for the code.
It comes as former Wallaby Morgan Turinui implored Jones to be upfront and honest about whether he took part in a Zoom interview for the Brave Blossoms head coach role, which would start next year.
Jones is under fire after the Herald revealed the Wallabies boss had sat in on a secret online interview on August 25, a fortnight out from Australia’s World Cup opener against Georgia.
After signing a five-year contract in January, Jones has tried to brush away the news that has created headlines across the rugby world.
Jones has been asked about the interview with Japan – and if he had a second interview lined up – but told reporters he did not know what they were talking about. He threatened to walk out of a press conference if a reporter asked one more question about the story.
The Wallabies were smashed 40-6 by Wales and are set to exit a Rugby World Cup in the pool stages for the first time, unless a number of results go their way.
Hamish McLennan and Eddie Jones.Credit: Steven Siewert, Getty Images
Australia have one more match remaining against Portugal on Sunday (Monday 1.45am ADST).
Speaking on Stan Sport’s Between Two Posts program from France, Mehrtens admitted it was not a great look for Jones.
“It looks horrific, doesn’t it,” Merhtens said. “Coaches are looking for opportunities – the same as national unions and clubs are looking for coaches at any time. You can’t just suddenly do it at the last minute.
“The timing of it just looks horrible. He [Jones] has come out with that patriotic flag-waving and [staying on] through to 2027, [saying] we’re going to do this and that. Until people know, they’re going to assume or speculate that it might have been about jumping ship sooner than that and going there, which looks awful in the context.”
Turinui also shared his thoughts on the story and revealed that it was his understanding Jones has a “standing offer” to go back to Japan. Jones coached the Japan national side from 2012 to 2015.
“I think Eddie needs to come out and directly say, ‘no, I didn’t do a Zoom interview with Japan’, or ‘yes I did and refused their offer’ or ‘I’m giving advice to the Japanese rugby president’,” Turinui said.
“Remember, he coached in Japan [at Suntory] all through his England period. Or he says, ‘I’m considering jumping’. We need to know … when he says he’s committed to being in Australian rugby, that he is truly committed.
“He has a standing offer to go back there. He has for years.
“Maybe it’s hurt more because of the way we have mentioned the parochial nature of the appointment in the last six months. Donned the Akubra, put the RMs on, talking about being Australian and what it means, going to Arnhem Land … so maybe [because of] that [it] feels more like a betrayal than [just] a coach discussing what other options there might be. It’s the least organised I’ve ever seen an Eddie Jones environment.”
Morgan Turinui and Eddie Jones in Wallabies camp in London in 2004.Credit: Getty
Mehrtens also took aim at Rugby Australia executives over their role in where the game finds itself.
Chairman Hamish McLennan and chief executive Phil Waugh are facing scrutiny after overseeing Australia’s most difficult World Cup campaign ever.
McLennan was instrumental in the bold call to bring Jones back to Australia.
After intense criticism of the team following Australia’s loss to Fiji, McLennan told the Herald: “For all the Wallaby detractors, don’t watch the game.”
“I can’t see a lot of humility at the top level. Humility is important,” Merhtens said. “[It is about] actually analysing and taking genuine responsibility for decisions that are made. I think the perceptions from people, whether right or wrong … it’s an old boys club in there. Whether it’s Shore or the GPS schools, yes it’s been a strong base for Australian rugby and we have got to continue to nurture that, but people don’t see a lot of humility.
“They see cronyism a lot of the time and if that’s the perception of the public, then you’ve got to work bloody hard to change that perception because something is not right.
“[It is about] acknowledging mistakes and moving forward and if that means there has to be some blood spilled at the highest level, well there has to be blood spilled.”
Turinui added: “Have we learned that blood-spilling doesn’t work? I think the executives and the board, and Hamish and Phil, I think like the Wallabies and all of us have been humbled and need to be humbled. We need to change the way we talk about the game right now.”
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