The Japan Rugby Football Union has broken its silence over a shocking report that Wallabies coach Eddie Jones had secretly conducted a job interview with the body just days before the start of the match. Rugby World Cup.
Jones took part in a Zoom interview with officials from Japan as the country looks to replace Jamie Joseph when he steps down as national coach after the tournament, according to the Sydney Morning Herald.
Jones is said to have dialed in from Paris for the interview on August 25, just two days before the Wallabies’ warm-up match against France, which they lost 41-17.
Now the JRFU has refused to deny that the interview took place.
“JRFU will not release any information on candidates (name of individual or progression) until we decide and announce the new head coach, so unfortunately there is no comment from us as of yet as it has not been decided yet,” a spokesperson said. told the publication.
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Jones (pictured training with the Wallabies at the World Cup) explicitly refused to deny reports that he had a job interview just days before the tournament
Wallabies skipper Will Skelton revealed the coach did not raise the matter with the team
The union also declined to say whether the unsuccessful candidates would be announced when they choose Joseph’s replacement.
Questions about the job interview infuriated Jones after his team’s disastrous loss to Wales in the World Cup, with the coach threatening to walk out of the press conference, but he did not explicitly deny the report.
Wallabies skipper Will Skelton revealed the coach had not spoken to the team about the job interview.
Rugby Australia (RA) CEO Phil Waugh said he relied on Jones’ word that he had not been interviewed.
RA chairman Hamish McLennan said he was aware of a job offer made to Jones but the 63-year-old had turned it down.
Meanwhile, the goals kept coming for the Wallabies at the Rugby World Cup in France, with the team falling to an all-time low in the world rankings from 10th.
After their record 40-6 loss to Wales in Lyon, which almost ended their hopes of reaching the quarter-finals for the first time in history, the Australians have fallen one place in the rankings.
Shock loss to Wales sees Australia sink to a new low in the world rankings (Photo: Wallabies stars devastated after 40-6 defeat)
Eddie Jones’ men have swapped places with new number 9 Argentina, who are coached by ex-Wallabies boss Michael Cheika.
With Argentina having scored 1.72 points for their sloppy 19-10 win over Samoa and Australia having lost two and a half points in their heavy defeat, the teams have swapped the rankings for the first time since the introduction of the rankings with Wallabies in the 10th place.
Ireland increased their position as world number 1 with a thrilling victory over South Africa, with France replacing the Springboks in second place.
Cheika was at the Australian helm at the last World Cup in Japan in 2019, but left the post immediately after their stunning 40-16 elimination in the quarter-finals at the hands of then Jones-coached England.
Despite the disastrous campaign in France this time around, Jones says he has no intention of giving up his job, with four years left on his contract until the 2027 tournament in Australia.
“I’m one hundred percent committed,” Jones said.
Argentina have surpassed the Wallabies to become the ninth-ranked team in the world in yet another appalling result for Australian rugby
The Wallabies need a miracle to avoid being knocked out of the World Cup in the group stages for the first time (pictured, Samu Kerevi reacts to the loss to Wales)
‘I came back to Australia to help. I’m not giving much help at this point, am I? But that doesn’t mean my commitment to helping has changed.
“Every time you go into work you want to win games and create the best team we can, but there’s a process involved… it unfortunately takes time and pain.
‘Sometimes it takes more pain than pleasure, I have no doubt what I’m about to do. Even though it looks like it’s a mess right now, I can guarantee it’s not.”
A report from Japan suggested that Jones may have been assisting in the coaching recruitment process, given his close relationship with JRFU president Masato Tsuchida.
Jones currently holds a role as Advisory Director of Rugby to Tokyo Sungoliath and has had a working relationship with the club since 1997, with Masato being a former player and head coach at the club.
The Wallabies were back in the training paddock on Tuesday, preparing for their final pool match against world number 16 Portugal in Saint-Etienne on Sunday (Monday AEST).
Their World Cup dream could be officially over on Saturday (Sunday AEST) when the group faces Fiji against Georgia and scores four tries.