Australian rugby is still feeling the aftershocks of Eddie Jones’ disastrous one-year return, which included Carter Gordon’s departure for the NRL, partly down to the ’embarrassment’ and ‘humiliation’ of last year’s World Cup campaign.
That’s the opinion of former Wallaby and two-time World Cup member Matt To’omua, who believes Jones’ gambling on the top stage continues to plague Australian rugby even after Gordon’s departure for the NRL.
Toumua will not select Gordon for the upcoming Tests against Wales and Georgia as the Lions tour is just 12 months away, but the former playmaker believes the 23-year-old will struggle for consistency given the circumstances of this competition. He said it wasn’t surprising what he was going through. The past twelve months have seen massacres of Melbourne rebels.
“This time last year Carter Gordon would have been one of the best players in Australian rugby at Super Rugby level,” To’omua said. roar rugby Podcast.
“He suffered the dissolution of the club and the anxiety that followed. He got kicked out of the World Cup on the billiards stage. It’s hard to blame anyone for wanting to get out of that situation.
“I don’t know if the Titans can make things better, but unfortunately that’s where we (Australian Rugby) are at the moment.
“I don’t think he’s in Australia’s top 10 at the moment.
“Then he 100% deserves to be on or around that team. He could 100% easily be in the top 10 later this year, and I think it would be very sad to see someone like him leave.
“He is responding to incentives. He is reacting to being kicked out of the World Cup and feeling embarrassed and humiliated there.
“We started watching Eddie Jones and he wanted to go out there and give people experience and say, ‘In four years they’ll be better.’
“Well… no. Having a bad experience at the World Cup will not help you in any way, shape or form. If anything, it will give you more demons.
“I think we’re seeing Marky Mark (Nawaqanitawase) leave and now Carter leave. Eddie said, ‘Yeah, they would benefit from spending time in France at the World Cup. ’ But apparently that wasn’t the case.”
Carter Gordon reacts after the Wallabies lost to Wales in their third World Cup billiards match at the Parc Olympique in Lyon, September 24, 2023. (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)
To’omua’s comments come nine months after World Cup winner Michael Lynagh raised concerns that the 2023 World Cup could leave psychological scars.
“My biggest emotion is sadness,” Lynagh told the BBC. rugby union daily Podcast.
“Australia have never really had success in this World Cup and it’s really disappointing. I feel for the players. They’re not bad players, they work really hard, but they don’t seem to attract much attention when they go out on the field.
“As this goes on, I think there are going to be a few people who are struggling to get over this experience. I hope not.”
Eddie Jones and Carter Gordon chat during a Wallabies training session. (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)
Toumua, who played alongside Gordon at the Rebels and featured in the 2015 World Cup final before bowing out in the quarter-finals in 2019, said Jones’ huge gamble had backfired dramatically.
“It’s really disappointing,” To’omua said. “If you look at that World Cup, you can see that we gambled, played poker at World Cup level and ignored the World Cup tournament.
“The excuse was, ‘These are people who will be better off in four years.’ That was clearly the wrong choice. It was certainly terrible for Australian rugby.
“We have now seen people leaving.
“Personally, if I go to the World Cup and get eliminated as the worst Wallaby team in World Cup history and feel embarrassed, I no longer have confidence next year and think, ‘Oh my, thank goodness. ‘I was embarrassed and beaten by 40 people from Wales.’
“It’s never a good experience and it sets the foundation for future success. “To be honest, I think we’re still seeing a little bit of the fallout from the Eddie Jones era.”
Matt To’omua believes Noah Lolesio should be the Wallabies’ first-choice flyhalf. (Photo by Albert Perez/Getty Images)
New Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt is expected to name his first Test squad on Friday.
Gordon, who started the first two Tests at the World Cup, was benched in the loss against Wales but was left out of Schmidt’s wider training squad when he signed for the Gold Coast Titans last week.
To’omua said Schmidt could not select Gordon as there are just 14 Tests before the Wallabies face the British and Irish Lions on Australian shores.
Instead, To’omua said the Wallabies should invest in Brumbies playmaker Noah Lolesio, who is coming off his fifth Super Rugby campaign and playing the last of his 17 Tests in a stunning comeback win over Wales in November 2022.
“I wouldn’t pick him on that team,” To’omua said. “I wouldn’t choose Marky Mark for the same reason.
“Ultimately, this is an important year, like every year, but honestly, next year is even more important.
“If we succeed next year, this year’s results will be justifiable.
“Joe Schmidt is an experienced coach. He understands it.
“He will try to gain public support this year, but ultimately we need to invest in Noah. We need to invest in Tom Wright. We need to invest in these players.
“We have 15 more tests to their name. So when they face the Lions next year, these are tough Wallabies.
“These are people who have experienced and understood how to win at altitude, how to win in the wet, and how to win on a dry track. These are people who have had that experience now.
“So I think, honestly, we need to move forward and prioritize the Lions series next year.”
