Rugby Australia chairman Hamish McLennan has confirmed that the Wallabies players were not consulted on the decision to fire head coach Dave Rennie and replace him with Eddie Jones.
Rennie’s sacking was announced Monday, following a week-long Wallabies training camp on the Gold Coast. The unusual timing of the decision has been called into question by many as the Rugby World Cup looms in just nine months’ time.
The timing has now been described as opportunistic, with Eddie Jones available, a homecoming was arranged. McLennan also revealed that Rugby Australia had been in touch with Jones for well over a year.
“He’s the best coach in the world,” McLennan told SEN 1170 Mornings.
“He’s an Aussie, he’s a classic Sydney sider and he understands Rugby and our competitive dynamic.
“He was absolutely on the radar and we’ve been talking to him since November of 2021.
“We were thinking (of hiring him) from 2024 onwards (and) then we literally fell off our chair when he got cut by the RFU (Rugby Football Union).
“We had a poor Spring Tour and didn’t perform to our expectations so we just thought we’d capture Eddie for 2023. Give ourselves the best opportunity to win (the World Cup) in 2023. He’ll deliver results for us.”
