Mad Max 2 was likely the most riveting Australian sequel to date. As anybody who has seen the film knows, there is a particularly terrifying moment when Wez, the villain with the punk mohawk whom everyone believed to be extinct, suddenly reappears on the bonnet of the road warrior’s rumbling truck. For some at Twickenham the homecoming of Eddie Jones as Australia’s head coach must feel very similar.
As a result, if the Rugby Football Union believed it had seen the last of Eddie, it has been gloriously deceived. As Freddie Krueger in a tracksuit, he has returned to haunt the dreams of the English.
Imagine if Australia faced England in the quarterfinals of this year’s Rugby World Cup. And beating them. The RFU’s decision to fire Jones last month would go down as one of the all-time great corporate howlers.
Plenty of water, in fairness, still has to flow beneath the Sydney Harbour Bridge before that happens. Injury issues ravaged the Wallabies in the second half of last season, necessitating Jones’s search for a healthy fly-half and a competent physio. There is no assurance Australia will win the 2023 championship just because they fired the affable and unassuming Dave Rennie.
Eddie Jones’ rapid return to Australia might cost England in the rear
However, the kookaburra cackles you can hear indicate that Australians are already enjoying the entertainment value of the situation. Jones does not formally assume office until January 29, but he has already returned to the minds of English citizens.
He has extensive knowledge of Steve Borthwick’s players and specializes in rapid response transformations. Think Red Adair in an Akubra hat with a sharper sense of humor.
Even more than Warren Gatland’s prodigal return to Wales, the news has unquestionably rocked up the world of rugby. Australia and Wales are in the same World Cup group, and one of them will likely face England in the quarterfinals. If genuine anticipation did not accompany the quarterfinal weekend in Marseille before, it does now.
It also raises several bigger inquiries. By releasing Jones without requiring him to serve a period of gardening leave, the RFU has effectively transferred seven years’ worth of intellectual property to one of its closest competitors and provided them with access to its preparation secrets.
New Zealand in 2003, South Africa in 2015, and New Zealand again in 2019 are examples of teams coached by Eddie Jones who, after months of meticulous planning, sprang a trap on apparently superior opponents.
The RFU’s chief executive, Bill Sweeney, has already stated that he is unconcerned about Jones joining one of England’s major rivals. It remains to be seen how relaxed he will be if Australia undergoes a dramatic transformation while England takes longer to acclimatize to life under Steve Borthwick and again finishes at the bottom of the Six Nations batting order.
Because Jones will undoubtedly be on a mission to disprove the beliefs of many individuals. Despite an amazing World Cup resume — reaching the final with Australia in 2003 and assisting South Africa in 2007 as a consultant — he has never led a team to worldwide glory as head coach.
When I last spoke to him a month ago, he seemed a bit more weary and philosophical than usual. But if the Wallabies catch a few good early breaks, his old swagger will quickly return.
Australia’s women’s team
There is also a sensation that the square peg has returned to its square hole. Jones frequently encountered foreign cultural characteristics in England. Such as the English reserve, the class system, public school views, and the less readily controlled media.
Perhaps he was at his happiest when he was on tour in Australia last summer, sitting peacefully in his old haunts in Coogee, lord over all he saw. He will know immediately which green and gold buttons to push, which is precisely why Rugby Australia engaged him.
Yes, everything came to a messy conclusion in England, with the Twickenham fans jeering and England suffering a humiliating loss to the Springboks. Yes, France and Ireland are the current favorites to win the October Webb Ellis Cup.
However, as the past twenty-four hours have once again demonstrated. The international rugby union is a sport in which circumstances may change rapidly.
Jones is suddenly back on the road to wrath, not only towering huge over England’s windscreen. But also ready to clash with the British and Irish Lions, who are scheduled to tour Australia in 2025.
In a groundbreaking move, he is also seizing overall control of the Wallaroos. Australia’s women’s team, opening up an intriguing new front that may annoy his former staff. There are fewer tenacious outback flies than a goal-driven Jones with a clear objective to pursue.
Therefore, grab your popcorn and hold on tightly. It is unlikely that the ride will be dull. Jones and Australia are in a position where they are typically most dangerous in many ways. Slight underdogs, a smattering of misfits, and a few quiet scores to settle.
Jones is no longer forgotten in Twickenham, even though he is no longer visible. This boomerang that the RFU threw away before Christmas has the potential to return. And hit them in the back of the head.
