Eddie Jones learns his Wallabies fate as Rugby Australia makes decision after disastrous World Cup campaign and loyalty row following Japan job interview

Describing the Wallabies’ World Cup campaign as ‘bitterly disappointing’, Rugby Australia boss Phil Waugh believes ousting embattled coach Eddie Jones is not the answer.

The Wallabies find themselves in World Cup limbo after beating Portugal in their final pool match in Saint-Etienne, and will now rely on the same side to stop Fiji from earning a bonus point in next Sunday’s final match.

If not, Fiji will progress to the quarter-finals along with Wales, while Australia will go home after the pool stages for the first time in tournament history.

Waugh said the Wallabies’ performance was not good enough.

“I think it has been a bitter disappointment,” the CEO said.

The Wallabies are on the brink of a humiliating exit in the group stages in France

“We came here with a lot of hope and optimism and now everything is out of our hands and we have to pray that Portugal will face Fiji next week.”

Waugh believed the Cup failure had been years in the making and said they needed to improve the entire rugby ecosystem in Australia to produce more elite Test players.

He blamed the players for their record losses to Wales and Fiji and said the injury-related absences of heavyweight stars Will Skelton and Taniela Tupou had not helped.

‘You look at that game against Fiji, and we lose Taniela and Will Skelton during the week and that has a huge impact on that game, and 22-15, it’s small margins and Fiji played well, we played poorly, and then you “We are out of the World Cup unless a miracle happens this weekend,” said the former Test flanker.

Jones has come under fire for his youth selection policies and tactics, while he was forced to deny interviewing for Japan’s coaching role in the World Cup opener.

Waugh said he was still content to take Jones at his word that he was committed to taking the Wallabies to the next World Cup in Australia in 2027.

“Eddie told me he’s committed and there’s nothing there, so I’m just saying I take his word for it,” Waugh said.

‘I’m not going to speculate or try to find out where conversations are taking place.

But head of Rugby Australia Phil Waugh is backing Jones as he develops the national team

“We are committed to Eddie… we will go through the review of this campaign, but I think the most important thing is that we look at the overall structure of how Australian rugby works.”

The veteran coach has raised his hand as a fall guy for the Wallabies’ shortcomings, but Waugh did not predict another coaching change.

“We have to assess the campaign, but our intention is to continue on the path we are on,” Waugh said.

“I think it’s not so much about chopping and changing coaches, but about actually fixing the system.”