Rugby Australia officials had been talking to Eddie Jones for months about a potential return to the Wallabies. This is how it all unfolded.
The details of the stunning move to bring Eddie Jones back into the Wallabies fold were hammered out over a secret Portuguese chicken dinner at the lavish home of Rugby Australia chairman Hamish McLennan in July last year.
The negotiations were incredibly delicate, given incumbent coach Dave Rennie had already spoken about the possibility of extending his contract beyond its expiration after the 2023 World Cup. The trio decided against meeting at a Sydney restaurant or bar to avoid the secret getting out. Instead, Jones caught an Uber over the Harbour Bridge to McLennan’s multimillion-dollar harbourside home on the lower North Shore.McLennan’s wife, Lucinda, cooked dinner – a serving of Portuguese chicken and salad – which was warmly appreciated by Jones.
Coincidentally, the meeting occurred just days after an alcohol-fuelled Wallabies fan labelled Jones a “traitor” at the third Test at the SCG. The plan’s origins can be traced back to the Wallabies spring tour in 2021 when McLennan caught up with Jones in London in November. After that, the pair stayed in regular contact.
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