With the popularity rankings of rugby league and union in England largely the reverse of Australia, the name Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii does not – yet – resonate with the British audience.
That may change this weekend, with Suaalii set for a debut at Twickenham, but so far the youngster has been more curiosity than cutting news in London this week.
An Australian has been dominating the headlines, but he has nothing to do with the Wallabies. Or not any more, at least.
Eddie Jones – who else? – has been national news for days after excerpts from an autobiography by former England halfback Danny Care appeared in The Sunday Times and provided incredible insights into the “dystopian novel” vibes of England camp under Jones’ seven-year reign.
Jones’ abrasive nature has been known for decades, but Care’s book paints a fuller picture of what he claimed were players and staff living in fear under the threat of a Jones outburst, or being dropped and exiled from the team. Or both.
Players would try desperately to avoid drawing attention to themselves, Care wrote, and said England camp “was like living in a dictatorship, under a despot who disappeared people”.
Eddie Jones at Twickenham after England’s 25-25 draw with New Zealand in 2022. It proved to be his penultimate game in charge.Credit: Getty Images
“Did Eddie rule by fear? Of course he did, everyone was bloody terrified of him,” Care wrote.
“Remember what it felt like when someone was being bullied at school and you were just glad it wasn’t you? That was the vibe.”
The RFU were even forced to come out and defend their safeguarding systems, saying no complaints had been made and Care did not want to take formal action.
All of which raises the question: did Rugby Australia know about the sort of behaviour alleged by Care before they signed Jones last year?
There is no right answer, of course. If they did know and still signed Jones, it raises serious questions. But then so too would not having done any due diligence in the first place.
Danny Care celebrates after scoring for England in 2023.Credit: Getty Images
A lot has been said and written about the decision to sack former coach Dave Rennie and appoint Jones.
It ended in a train wreck, with Jones interviewing to become Japan coach before leading the Wallabies to a first-ever exit from the pool stages at the World Cup. And then quitting, one year into a five-year contract, to become Japan coach.
The after-effects are still being felt.
But less focus has gone on the environment created by Jones in his short stay with the Wallabies, particularly among his staff.
Brad Davis (left, with earpiece) is pictured in a Wallabies coaching huddle in Melbourne.Credit: Getty
On the eve of the World Cup, assistant coach Brad Davis resigned from the role.
Davis was a defence coach who was made attack coach by Jones, when the head coach struggled to put together a staff at late notice. According to multiple sources, Davis and former NRL player Brett Hodgson – the team’s defence coach – were the two staffers who came under the fiercest pressure from Jones. Criticism was often delivered in full view of others.
Davis departed citing “personal reasons”. When asked why Davis had left, Jones said: “Family reasons, mate. There’s an opportunity for us. And I think we’ll improve our coaching staff.”
The comment was overshadowed by Jones’ famous airport press conference rant that followed that same day.
Davis is now with the Queensland Reds, as a defence coach. Hodgson stayed on but also departed after the World Cup.
Unlike in the England camp, Wallabies’ players have not come out with as many stories of living in fear under Jones.
“There was a barrier. The staff would really cop it, the leaders were the next barrier and the players were mostly sheltered from it,” a Wallabies player, speaking anonymously in order to tafreely, said last year.
But after being challenged by some senior Wallabies players, including captain Michael Hooper, Jones cut a majority of older guys and went with a youth policy for the World Cup. Backed by Jones, many of those players have positive things to say about him.
The lack of time with Jones accounts for some of that, and so too the shallower depth in Australian rugby. Jones was more cut-throat in dropping and calling up from a wider pool of England players.
“Everyone has their opinion,” Wallabies lock Will Skelton said on Tuesday.
“I think, if you look at Danny’s picture, he had Eddie for a long time – we had him for six, seven months. For me personally, we weren’t winning. It’s tough when you’re not winning games.
“We’re backs against the wall. We were trying to improve. And, ultimately, Eddie was trying to get the best out of us.”
Jones arrives in London next week with Japan, for a Test match against England. The novel may have a chapter or two left to run.
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