“Clearly the players we’ve got at the moment aren’t
good enough,” Eddie Jones said after becoming the first Wallaby coach to
lose five test matches in a row since 1968-69. As usual and understandably,
Eddie was blaming everyone except himself.

A half a moment’s thought though would lay the blame for
that alleged failing straight back to where it belongs: on the coach’s head. Eddie
Jones picked the team. Eddie Jones coaches the team. Eddie Jones is responsible
for the team – unless of course he wants to blame the mothers of Australia
for being inferior breeding stock.

And the Australian Rugby Union is responsible for Eddie
Jones. The really bad news for Australian rugby is that the ARU itself
seems to
be missing in action. If it doesn’t find some spine and direction very
soon we’ll be looking for another generation of mothers before we reach
our
fourth World Cup final.

The most obvious examples of Eddie’s failing as a coach are
the set pieces that helped sink us in the tri-nations. Line outs can be won by
intelligence and guile as well as simple height and spring. The All Blacks
showed that against South Africa
two weeks ago.

Apparently everyone, including the international referees,
now knows that Bill Young’s enormous heart can’t make up for his lack of weight
when he packs down against the world’s two best teams. Everyone except Eddie,
that is.

At an off-the-record rugby lunch before the All Blacks test,
anonymous members of the front rowers’ club had no hesitation in nominating
Rodzilla, alias Rodney Blake, as the young player to solve a large part of that
front row problem. The 129 kg Queensland
giant started in the Reds last three Super 12 games and was a revelation. He should have been in New
Zealand on Saturday night.

And please let’s not try to fool ourselves about that
result. Yes, the Wallabies showed great ticker in coming back from 20-0, but it
was only possible because the All Blacks relaxed. The Kiwis were always in
control and after having a rest, they had no trouble doing enough to win. The
score flattered us.

We were beaten by the best team in the world. The players
did not disgrace us. Too bad the ARU is letting us down.