Under-fire Wallabies coach Eddie Jones has arrived back in Australia as doubts surround his future following the disastrous World Cup campaign.
Jones touched down in Sydney on Thursday night after the Wallabies were eliminated in the group stage of the World Cup for the first time in history.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Eddie Jones addresses future on return to Sydney.
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Reports on Thursday emerged that Jones, who was re-appointed as Wallabies coach in January, was set to quit his post and become Japan’s coach.
When asked by 7NEWS if he was heading to Japan, Jones said, “no comment,” but confirmed his commitment to the Wallabies.
Jones is contracted until the end of the 2027 World Cup, which will be held in Australia.
“I will speak to the media on Monday but I am committed to Australia.”
When pressed further about contact with Japan, Jones categorically said: “I’ve had no discussions with them.”
Jones coached Japan from 2012 to 2015 and during the recent World Cup reports emerged that he held secret interviews to take over as the country’s head coach.
At the time, Rugby Australia denied the claims with chief executive Phil Waugh saying there was “nothing in” the reports, while Jones brushed off the reports as “bulls**t and gossip”.
On Thursday, multiple outlets in Japan reported Jones was set to replace Jamie Joseph as head coach, but there was no official comments from Rugby Australia.
Meanwhile, assistant coach Pierre-Henry Broncan faced questions about Jones’ future.
The experienced Frenchman thought that the Jones’ experiment of bringing in assistant coaches from rugby league and Australian Rules had not worked.
But he said Jones still remained Australia’s best chance of putting together a competitive team for 2027, if he was given the sort of backing France coach Fabien Galthie had enjoyed over the last four years.
“There’s no time to lose,” he told French sports newspaper L’Equipe. “The French had four years to build a group. They have been preparing for this World Cup for four years. Australia must take a cue from this.”
If that did not happen, Broncan said, Jones might not be around for long.
“Eddie is a competitor,” he added. “If he doesn’t have the means or if he feels that things will continue as before, it will be hard for him to stay.
“If he senses a real desire from Rugby Australia to create a high-performance environment, I think he will be there.”
– With AAP.
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