'Not the Messiah' - but still a great interview as Eddie Jones makes emotional school return
Eddie Jones made a triumphant and emotional return to his old high school on Tuesday before painting a golden picture for his unlikely second term as Wallabies coach.
Instead of holding his first press conference at Rugby Australia's sparkling new headquarters, Jones hosted a large media pack at Matraville Sports High School.
It's where Jones fell in love with rugby as a scrappy Sydney schoolboy, alongside the iconic Ella brothers. Does it feel like home?
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Eddie Jones and the Ella brothers return to Matraville Sports High School. Photo: Brook Mitchell Sydney Morning Herald
"It definitely does," Jones said as his eyes began to get a bit watery.
"Mark, Glen, Gary (Ella) and I were talking out there... we left here in 1977 and to come back here now is pretty special. It's a good feeling. It's quite emotional."
Jones - sacked by England before replacing Dave Rennie at the Wallabies helm - was at pains to point out he was "not the Messiah" in terms of curing Australia's issues alone.
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Eddie Jones returns to Matraville Sports High School. Photo: Brook Mitchell Sydney Morning Herald
But he repeatedly referenced his belief that the Wallabies were capable of winning their third World Cup in France this year.
"We're all in this together but sometimes you just need someone to beat the drum to get people walking faster and maybe that's the role at the moment," Jones said.
"Australian rugby has gone through tough periods before. This is not unusual... Australia ended up winning the World Cup in 1991 and then 1999 we won the World Cup.
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"We want to start that period again. We're not short of talented players here but talent doesn't win World Cups. What wins World Cups and wins the hearts of people is teams who play with that same spirit the Ellas had.
"Being aggressive, playing with a certain panache. That doesn't mean you run with the ball all the time because kicking can be as artistic as running the ball.
"We want to play with a certain panache. We want to play tough so at the end of tight games, you win those tight games. That's the traditional Australian digger spirit.
"We want that in the team and that's the opportunity for the players this year."
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