Pierre-Henry Broncan: "I am sure about it because he is a great coach. I understand everything and in his head he wants to find the best solution for Australia and his country. He is the right person"; Tom Hooper: "I just think everyone is really happy Eddie is our coach at the moment"
Thursday 28 September 2023 16:12, UK
Wallabies assistant coach Pierre-Henry Broncan believes Eddie Jones is "the right person" to lead Australia out of their Rugby World Cup slump.
Australia are on the brink of pool-stage elimination for the first time in World Cup history after defeats to Fiji and Wales.
Fiji need five points from their last two games against Georgia and Portugal to send the Wallabies packing and confirm a last-eight place alongside Wales from Pool C.
Former England boss Jones has received fierce criticism from many quarters following Australia's record 40-6 loss to Wales in Lyon last weekend.
He has also been strongly linked to coaching Japan after the tournament, suggesting Sunday's appointment with Portugal might be his farewell.
Asked if Jones remains the right man to lead Australia, Broncan said: "Yes, of course. I am sure about it because he is a great coach.
"I understand everything about it and I think in his head he wants now to find the best solution for the Australia national team and his country. He is the right person."
And flanker Tom Hooper added: "I just think everyone is really happy Eddie is our coach at the moment. We have developed really well under him as a young team.
"He has had a hard task to take us forward. I have certainly gained a lot from being coached under him.
"Whoever the coach is going forwards, as a young team and as a playing group in Australia everyone is going to put in for whoever has the job and if that's Eddie, that would be just as good.
"He had some really encouraging words for us on the night after (Wales) - and that will stay in house - but he is a great mentor.
"He made sure the boys were up. He is always looking after us (as) number one, even to the point when he will sometimes fall on his sword for us."
It was meant to be the return of the prodigal son, who would kick-start Australian rugby to unexpected World Cup glory. But Jones' second Wallabies spell has instead turned into a fiasco.
Some 18 years after he last departed the Australia post, Jones - a coach with a superb World Cup record - was back in his homeland a month after being given the sack by England.
A terrible run of form, dreadful media relationship, shunning of experienced players, apparent secret Japan job interview, unfortunate luck with some injuries and history-making World Cup failure have followed in the eight months - or four months of Tests - since.
An inability to pick up victories and dreadful media relationship, banishing of experienced players, secret Japan job interview?, unfortunate injury luck? Click the link in the heading above as we look at where it's gone so wrong for one of rugby's biggest and most controversial characters.
