Wallabies coach Eddie Jones is due to speak at a press conference on Tuesday. Now is the time for him to say whether he has been in contact with Japan - and if so, explain why.
The Wallabies coach is due to speak on Tuesday, where he will clearly be asked about the situation with Japan. Now that Frans Ludeke has broken cover and confirmed that he is also part of the Japanese coaching process, Jones has nowhere to hide. If he is part of that process, then say so, and explain why. If it is linked to centralisation concerns, say so.
Like it or not, if the All Blacks are going backwards, then the Wallabies’ revival becomes all the harder. Like Rugby Australia, NZ Rugby has to go to market for a broadcast renewal post 2025, and the two countries are joined at the high-performance hip and the commercial hip. As for Los Pumas, victors over Wales, they are also showing that the Rugby Championship remains an elite competition.
That group of Lomax, Ethan de Groot, Fletcher Newell and Tamaiti Williams have at least one Rugby World Cup in them, and clearly have plenty of improvement left in them. That’s a major tick for New Zealand rugby no matter what happens from here.Former Reds and Western Force No.10 Brock James will contest New Zealand’s NPC final next weekend after guiding his Hawke’s Bay side to the decider with a gutsy win in Wellington on Saturday. It’s been a wild ride for James.