Reports coach Eddie Jones had interviewed for the Japan job didn’t penetrate the Wallabies World Cup bubble based on gamers who’re adamant he’s dedicated to them and they’re to him within the wake of a tournament-ending loss to Wales.
Captain Dave Porecki, vice-captain Tate McDermott and rookie five-eighth Carter Gordon had been among the many Wallabies who had been adamant they’d no thought in regards to the studies linking Jones to Japan earlier than the 40-6 loss in France that has ensured Australia’s worst-ever World Cup consequence.
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Meanwhile former captain Michael Hooper, a shock and expensive ommission from the World Cup squad, additionally defended the coach.
Asked post-game, McDermott stated he had “no idea” in regards to the report suggesting Jones, who signed a four-year deal to teach Australia, had completed a Zoom interview with Japanese officers in August and dismissed it as an element within the defeat to Wales.
“Mate, with the amount of media on us at the moment, I doubt anybody saw that, so I’m not quite sure what you’re talking about,” the scrum-half stated.
“To answer your question, I didn’t hear anything.”
McDermott was adamant the squad was united regardless of dropping two of three video games on the World Cup, the one win, and the one win since Jones took management, coming in opposition to minnows Georgia.
“We’ve worked a lot on the connection of this group,” he stated.
“It’s easy in the good times when you’re winning, we haven’t had many of them this year. It’s a resilient group but it’s not good enough in a do-or-die game.”
Gordon, who was picked by Jones as the one five-eighth within the squad and was benched for the conflict with Wales after a substandard efficiency in opposition to Fiji, stated he believed the coach was dedicated to the rebuild he had begun.
“As far as the players know, Eddie is committed to Rugby Australia,” he stated.
“Look, we know he is committed to us and we are committed to him. I haven’t seen the article.
“I didn’t hear anything about it. This is the first I am hearing about it now.”
Questioned after the loss, Jones issued a fiery response to the accusations he’d interviewed for the Japan job.
“I take umbrage to people questioning my commitment to the Australia job,” Jones stated.
“I have committed to coach Australia.”
Porecki additionally denied the studies impacted the staff.
“No. I don’t think many of the boys were aware of anything to be honest,” he stated.
“We had a good week of prep, probably our best week of prep and we didn’t turn up tonight. It’s got nothing to do with the outside noise.”
Porecki stated the gamers had been “embarrassed” by their efficiency that ensured the Wallabies would fail to make it out of the group levels for the primary time.
“We were hoping to put a show on. It just wasn’t good enough. We’ve got to front up next week. This one hurts,” he stated.
McDermott stated there was no escaping the Wallabies had been simply not adequate.
“It’s a result we’re going to have to live with,” he stated.
“We’ve not only let the people from Australia down in the crowd who supported us, but there’s heaps of (other) people out there who have supported us, back home as well. It wasn’t good enough and we’ve got to own that.
“I’m proud of this group but it’s very hard to defend the whole team for that performance.”
Gordon additionally stated the gamers had been those who dished up the poor efficiency and did his greatest to defend Jones from taking all of the blame.
“It‘s on us the players, we are the ones out there,” he stated.
“We are the ones playing. Eddie has done everything he can to put us in the right position to win and then it is on us to win the games.”
Axed Wallabies skipper Michael Hooper additionally leapt to the defence of the coach, telling Stan Sport: “A lot is going to come on Eddie, and maybe there’s some fairness in that.
“But I’ve been in the camp. No one is up for more hours than Eddie. Eddie is up until 11pm thinking about how to make the Wallabies team better, and he’s waking up at 3am answering messages.
“There’s no lack of desire from that guy to make that team the best it can be. People will come under fire – players first, coaches, coaches staff, the greater wider rugby community – but let’s pull the breaks off Eddie.”
He added: “Players, coaches, they’re putting their nuts on the line … Let’s not have a crack at the bloke.”
“Let’s not have a crack at the bloke.”
But one other axed participant – five-eighth Bernard Foley – appeared to whack Jones when he tweeted: “It didn’t have to be like this.
“Players have always put in.”
The Wallabies will play their ultimate World Cup match in opposition to Portugal.
Source: www.foxsports.com.au