In the aftermath of a 22-15 defeat to Fiji \u2013 Australia\u2019s first since 1954 \u2013 there was a moment when Jones asked a World Rugby media advisor to let the press conference run longer than it should have.<\/p>\n
On Monday morning, France time, the Wallabies intended to put up assistant coach Neal Hatley.<\/p>\n
Instead, it was Jones, via Zoom this time, who turned up after a little sleep and time to digest arguably Australia\u2019s worst Rugby World Cup defeat.<\/p>\n
\u201cI woke up [this] morning hoping the result would be different but it was still the same,\u201d Jones said.<\/p>\n
The back-to-back media appearances not only highlights that Jones is taking full responsibility for the loss, but also that he is relishing the intensity and challenges that the upcoming week will present.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
A dejected Ben Donaldson tells the story after the Wallabies\u2019 loss to Fiji in Saint-Etienne.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>Getty<\/cite><\/p>\n If Australia do not beat Wales on Sunday in Lyon (Monday 5am AEST), there is a very real possibility the Wallabies will miss the quarter-final stages of a Rugby World Cup for the first time.<\/p>\n But Jones, who boasts one of the best records as a coach at a World Cup, is a fighter.<\/p>\n As impressive as Fiji\u2019s game plan was against a youthful Australian side, Jones does not shy away from the fact a loss like this has the potential to unsettle the playing group.<\/p>\n The Wallabies have lost just three World Cup pool matches since the first tournament in 1987.<\/p>\n They fell to South Africa in 1995, Ireland in 2011 and Wales in 2019, and didn\u2019t make a final in any of those World Cups.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is the best coaching week and best playing week,\u201d Jones said. \u201cThese are the weeks you really remember when you\u2019re under the pump quite a lot and you\u2019ve got to produce a good performance. We\u2019re setting our sights on how we need to play against Wales.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen you have a loss like this, it knocks you around a bit. It knocks you around team ethic-wise. You start seeing shadows in every corner of the room. There is noise from the outside which you have got to handle. That\u2019s the challenge for the coaching staff this week, to make sure they have got the right noise.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s no problem with motivation. This team cares a lot about their performance. But sometimes you play against a team that is a little bit better than you. We\u2019re all still searching for answers, mate. None of us have 100 per cent of the answers but we have ideas about where the game came unstuck.\u201d<\/p>\n Eddie Jones is adamant these are the kind of weeks you want to be coaching.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>AP<\/cite><\/p>\n Wales are the only side in pool C with two wins but their victories over Fiji (32-26) and Portugal (28-8) have hardly put them into outright favouritism for a huge clash with Australia.<\/p>\n \u201cWales are a completely different team,\u201d Jones said. \u201cThey are a grinding team, they grind away, whereas Fiji is a power team and hit you with counterattack, which we didn\u2019t see much of. We just couldn\u2019t get our rhythm. Physically we probably got a bit struck by them and that put us on the back foot. It\u2019s a harsh learning experience but one we\u2019ll take into the Wales game.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, Jones said hooker Jordan Uelese would not play against Wales due to a concussion he suffered against Fiji. Matt Faessler, who was dropped for the Fiji fixture, will come back on the bench given he is the only spare hooker in the squad along with Dave Porecki.<\/p>\n A number of Wallabies players spent Monday with family members who have made the trip to France. The team will begin training on Wednesday ahead of a must-win game that could seal their pool stage fate.<\/p>\n \u201cI think we all wish we could play the game today against Wales,\u201d Jones said.<\/p>\n Watch all the action from <\/b>Rugby World Cup 2023<\/b> on the Home of Rugby, Stan Sport. Every match streaming ad-free, live and in 4K UHD with replays, mini matches and highlights available on demand.<\/b><\/p>\n Sports news, results and expert commentary. <\/i><\/b>Sign up for our Sport newsletter<\/i><\/b>.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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