Wallabies coach Eddie Jones has taken aim at New Zealand Rugby over their handling of the hiring of Scott Robertson as All Blacks coach.
Robertson was confirmed this week as the next All Blacks coach from 2024, with Ian Foster remaining in the role until after the 2023 World Cup.
Jones congratulated Robertson on the honour, but believed the process had been bungled by New Zealand Rugby.
“I think it’s really poor how New Zealand Rugby have done it. Ian Foster is here now – he’s a good man and he’s given a lot to New Zealand Rugby as assistant coach and head coach.
“The timing is inappropriate – leading into a World Cup, naming their head coach beforehand just causes another distraction they don’t need.”
Jones, who has a history of playing clever mind games and has been known to cause distractions for opponents with his comments, pointed out the possible downsides of the decision while speaking on his podcast.
“It could have a real galvanising effect on the team. They’ll want to really work together and work for their coach but there’s also that social media bit that’s different in the game now – it’ll be putting different thoughts into the players’ heads and that’s hard to control.
“There’s so much extra noise now and there will be extra noise with Robertson coming in.
“I saw a bit of the media conference and they’re already asking what’s going to be different – will those questions be asked to the players? They probably will be. What’s the effect it will have on the players? Nobody really knows.”
Jones was recently let go by England before being hired by Australia, and believes the coaching carousel will continue in international rugby.
“Maybe if [NZ Rugby] had their time again they’d handle it a little bit differently but that seems to be the way of the world now.
“Having experienced both sides of it myself, it’s a changing world for professional coaches in rugby and they’re starting to move to more of a football model where if three games aren’t very good then your fourth game better be good or you get the phone call to come to training.
“The chairman wants to meet you at 8am and you know it’s not for avocado on toast.”
Foster’s All Blacks will come up against Jones’ Wallabies twice before the World Cup, on July 29 in Melbourne and August 5 in Dunedin.
