Sonny Bill Williams slams Eddie Jones after shock World Cup loss to Fiji – before Wallabies coach hits back with a scathing comment
- Australia crashed to a 22-15 defeat to Fiji at the Rugby World Cup
- Was Wallabies first test loss for island nation in 69 years
- Dual-code star Williams blamed the selections for the defeat
Eddie Jones’ youth-first policy has come under fire again, with former All Blacks and NRL champion Sonny Bill Williams lashing the Wallabies mentor after their shock 22-15 loss to Fiji in Saint-Etienne.
It was the first time the Aussies had lost to Fiji in a Test match in 69 years and came after young playmaker Carter Gordon was hooked in the second half.
Gordon was preferred to veterans Quade Cooper and Nic White for the World Cup, with Jones opting for young talent including scrum-half Tate McDermott.
Williams said Jones had made a serious blunder with his selections, including not taking Cooper to the World Cup to mentor the young playmakers.
“My take on this whole ordeal of a game is: I feel for Carter Gordon right now,” Williams said.
Jones has come under heavy scrutiny in his second coming as Wallabies coach, largely due to his selections and his youth-first policy
Young half Carter Gordon had a night to forget against Fiji and was hooked on the action midway through the second half
Williams posted the following message after the match: ‘You already know I’m a big fan of the Fiji boys, so I snuck in after the game to congratulate the boys after their historic win. Continue to make the islands proud brothers.”
‘Cause he doesn’t have a Quade Cooper or (Bernard) Foley to go back to the hotel and say, ‘Bro, these things happen, but you know you’re going to be better.’ It’s really hard to see him get pulled like that,” Williams continued.
“And (Samu) Kerevi. But these selections, I’ll call it what it is: we’re in a high-performance arena. And sometimes you live and die by your decisions, and unfortunately Eddie Jones was discovered tonight.”
But Jones harnessed his Wallabies youth mentality and hit Williams right back.
“If you’re a television commentator, you’re always right,” Jones said.
‘Maybe I should become a television commentator, then I’m always right. Look, we went with a young team, I don’t regret it at all. We’re building a team for the future and we’re going to have to go through some pain.
‘I have made the decision to go for a younger team and if that is the wrong decision then I will be held responsible.
“But I think Australian rugby needs to move on to a younger team. I’m willing to go through some pain to leave Australia with a team that can do very well at a World Cup.”
Williams and the Fijian players including former NRL superstar Semi Radradra (right) celebrate the historic victory over Australia
It comes after Jones angrily snapped back at a journalist who asked if Gordon was the right selection after the Wallabies were pumped 38-7 by New Zealand in August.
“I don’t think I’m wrong, mate. In fact, I’m going to do a good job,” Jones snapped.
‘To say that as a young number 10 in his first game (as a starter) ‘you were wrong in selecting him’ is just nonsense.
‘So anyone who asks that question knows nothing about rugby.
‘If you know anything about rugby, you know that the number 10 needs time to sit in the chair. If you don’t know anything about rugby, don’t talk to me.’
The Wallabies World Cup is now on the line in their third pool match against unbeaten Welsh in Lyon next Sunday (Monday AEST).
While the Wallabies prepare to face Wales, Fiji have a two-week break before taking on winless Georgia in Bordeaux.
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