Almost 12 months to the day since Eddie Jones walked out on the Wallabies, Joe Schmidt’s Australian side is set to take on the Brave Blossoms in Japan.
The Roar can reveal that plans are well in place for the Wallabies to take on Jones’ Japanese on their way to the United Kingdom and Ireland for their grand slam Spring Tour.
It’s understood that the Test match is slated for November 2 – one week before the Wallabies take on Steve Borthwick’s English at Twickenham.
Should the Test match go ahead, it will set up a mouthwatering matchup against the coach who walked out on the Wallabies on October 29 – four weeks after Australia’s final pool match against Portugal at the World Cup – despite saying he was “committed” to coaching his home nation, whom he signed a five-year deal with at the start of 2023.
Joe Schmidt’s Wallabies are set to take on Eddie Jones’ Brave Blossoms in November. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
The match would be the Wallabies’ 14th Test of the year, with five Tests to end Schmidt’s first year in charge.
Although former coach Dave Rennie winced at the gruelling schedule in 2022, where he finished the Spring Tour with just 25 fit players, it’s understood Schmidt was keen to have a match ahead of their date with England, so they don’t turn up at Twickenham cold and underdone after a six-week break between Tests.
The November 2 Test against the Brave Blossoms would also be a money-spinner event for Australia’s cash-strapped national union.
It would also help momentum and media coverage heading into the end-of-year Spring Tour, especially given last year’s train wreck under Jones. That is, of course, assuming Jones is still on the role having lost his first three Tests in charge.
Although most of last year’s World Cup squad was behind Jones, the Wallabies were left in disbelief when news filtered out that the veteran coach was in conversations behind closed doors with Japan.
Japan head coach Eddie Jones watches on ahead of their clash against the Maori All Blacks at Prince Chichibu Memorial Rugby Ground on June 29, 2024 in Tokyo. (Photo by Koki Nagahama/Getty Images)
Disbelief turned to anger when Jones, who ended the international career of Michael Hooper and likely several others, including Quade Cooper and Bernard Foley, officially signed with the Japan Rugby Football Union in December.
“There are some guys who are frustrated with how it all played out and how he went about things,” Brumbies captain and Wallabies star Allan Alaalatoa told reporters at a promotional event for Stan’s behind the scenes documentary ‘The Wallabies – Inside Rugby World Cup 2023’.
“There is probably a bit of anger there as well. There are also boys who are grateful. He took a punt on a lot of young lads, who at the beginning of the year thought they were no chance of playing in the Wallabies. There is definitely a mixed range of emotions…
“The assumption was that it (links with Japan) was all just rumours and that nothing was happening and he was definitely going to stick this out with us, you know.”
The tour shapes as the first opportunity rugby fans will see NRL star Joseph Suaalii in gold.
Although it’s far from certain whether he will make his international debut on tour, it’s likely the Australian Schoolboy turned State of Origin back will be brought on the tour to speed up his development before playing for the Waratahs in 2025.
Should that be the case, it will be the same method followed by Michael Cheika who helped pave the way for Marika Koroibete’s seamless transition to the Wallabies from the Melbourne Storm.
The five-Test tour will also be the last time Schmidt can be completely hands on with his Wallabies before his side takes on the British and Irish Lions next July.
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