By Morgan Turinui
Almost a week on from the shock news that Eddie Jones is back as Wallabies coach, Australian rugby players will be a jumble of emotions: they’d be nervous, they’d be excited and there’d be anxiety.
If you were consistently picked by Dave Rennie, you’d be worried that is over. But if you were on the fringes or are uncapped or are outside the 40-man squad – or you’re an Australian playing anywhere in the world – you would be excited by this opportunity.
Eddie Jones would know about almost every Australian player around the globe who laces on a boot in a serious rugby competition, and plenty on the way up, too.
He’d know, for example, that Aussie halfback Ben Meehan is in amazing form for Gloucester, and he’s a left-footer, and he’s the best No.9 we’ve got who can kick off both feet. He will know that.
So if you have fallen off the radar, the reality is there is no such thing as off the radar with Eddie Jones.
If you are the last bloke on the Western Force roster and feel a bit out of sight, out of mind, or you’re a young kid coming through at the Rebels, Eddie will find you. He will know about you through his network, because of his work ethic and his obsession with knowledge.
And then if you do get lucky enough to get called into a squad with Eddie, be prepared to give 100 per cent energy, focus and concentration, because that’s what will be demanded of you.
Eddie Jones at Coogee Oval in 2004 during his spell as Wallabies coach.Credit:Getty
The great thing is, if you’re an Australian rugby player and you get to be coached by Eddie Jones, he can make you the best player you can be. But there is a price to be paid. That price is hard work, and perhaps taking your body and your mind to places they haven’t been before.
Eddie is all about continuous improvement and the work ethic that goes with that.
But there’s also the pressure that comes with it. You are a piece of coal: he can forge you into a diamond, but it won’t be comfortable.
If you can survive and thrive, you can follow in the footsteps of guys like George Gregan, Stephen Larkham and all those giants of the game.
As a man manager, Eddie is a chameleon. He is the stick and the carrot. He has an acerbic wit and can be hilarious. He likes to have fun. But if he sees you take your foot off the pedal, he will crack down on you straight away.
And he can do both of those things to you within half an hour.
I had the great fortune of playing under Eddie with the Wallabies from 2003 to 2005. I copped plenty of sprays from him and pretty much all were deserved. But he would then say let’s have a beer, or he’d have a laugh or talk to you about league or something of mutual interest.
Early on in an Eddie Jones environment, you are probably still young and inexperienced, and you’re in an anxious state most days. Is he going to like me today? What’s he going to say? You feel like there is a Big Brother always watching you.
And sometimes when you are at that stage, your motivation to work hard is just to stay off his radar. If it’s not you he is blowing up at, it’s a good thing. If he is yelling at Stephen Hoiles or Adam Freier, it’s a relief that it’s not you.
But as you come through it and mature, that will change. The expectations he brings around work ethic bring a real clarity about what you’re doing. If you are not doing what he wants, he’ll let you know about it.
So then when you run on the field, you feel like you are really physically prepared, you feel like you are ready, and he makes you believe in your game plan and your teammates. So, you always run out there with confidence because you know no one works harder than him, he makes his assistants work hard, and you have definitely worked hard. So you are in a really confident mood.
If you are walking into camp, you had better be prepared for the fact it is going to take 100 per cent commitment. But there is a reward for it all: you will improve as a rugby player.
The Wallabies had some massive issues around discipline last year. I reckon they will be cured pretty soon.
To be fair, that wasn’t a Dave Rennie issue. It is an Australian rugby discipline issue. The same players who gave away penalties in the Wallabies were the same ones who also did it a lot at Super Rugby level.
Eddie will understand the two teams in tier one who received the least cards last year were France and Ireland. He will know that.
Eddie will know about these Wallabies, don’t worry. He has had to prepare to beat them in two three-Test series in the past seven years, and a bunch of Tests in between, including the last World Cup.
He will have watched all the other Wallabies games, too. He is a proud Australian and he does care.
He gave England every fibre of his being while he was there, but he never stopped caring about Australia. And that’s why he’s back. It will be a hell of a ride.
Morgan Turinui played 20 Tests for the Wallabies under Eddie Jones between 2003 and 2005. He is now an expert rugby commentator for Nine and Stan Sport.
