The man, dubbed by an Australian fan just six months ago as a ‘traitor’ has now rather unexpectedly returned home back to his homeland.
In short, the move by the Australian Union to bring in Eddie is a masterstroke.
Eddie has the star dust to galvanise not just the squad of players but the entire rugby nation of Australia.
And while Jones had the well established flaws in his abrasive coaching style, no one can dispute that his style is what this Australian team needs. They have shown with big wins against RSA and NZ last summer and gritty performances this autumn that they have tenacity, as well as quality. It is just combining these two attributes, (as well as finding a fly half), that means Australia aren’t too far away from consistently competing with the nest sides in the World.
Suddenly overnight, with the appointment of Jones, the Aussies look like everyones dark horses for the RWC in September. They feature in a favourable pool with a lacklustre Wales in the tournament. Jones has a really good chance of going far this World Cup.
Yes, the appointment seems harsh on Dave Rennie who was steadily building a decent side with less weapons than he would’ve wanted. But the Australian Union clearly has an eye on their home World Cup of 2027 and with Jones at the helm. This appointment is as much about off the field success as it is about on it. It's effectively, an usual mix of PR with some coaching on the side.
Jones will be tasked with getting the entire nation geared towards that tournament.
You’d argue Rennie didn’t quite have that magic touch for such a public facing role. His personality doesn't quite compare with the media loving Jones. Jones, will relish the opportunity, with the spice of a Lions tour in 2025 added to the mix.
Already it is clear that Jones’ intention is to ransack the NRL for this star-studded quality, and I don’t blame him.
But if nothing else, my lasting thought is, it is great to see a competitor like Jones still centre stage of world rugby and back at the front of the coal face once again. As cliche as it is, the game needs a character like him.
Will the RFU rue the decision to let him go? The answer is, I don’t think either Jones or the RFU care. The sacking of Jones wasn’t all that bitter and the writing was on the wall.
In the end, England got their man in Borthwick, and Eddie got his chance at one last big job.
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