Eddie Jones looks to Super Rugby for Wallabies pointers

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Super Rugby Pacific begins on Friday, carrying more importance in a World Cup year in which it will be part of the limited preparation of the national teams.

The tournament may be more important still for returning Wallabies head coach Eddie Jones, whose relatively short lead-in to the World Cup kicking off in September means the Super Rugby season will be his first chance to accurately map the Australian rugby landscape.

It is unlikely that Jones, while coaching England, was unaware of developments in rugby in his homeland. He's always been a keen observer. But this Super Rugby season will give him a much more thorough understanding of the talent pool at his disposal.

First, under Jones there is unlikely to be any right of incumbency. Being a first choice under previous coach Dave Rennie won’t count in Jones’ new regime.

The Wallabies have only five tests ahead of the World Cup and Jones will have to choose at least his initial squad on Super Rugby form.

The ACT Brumbies coach Stephen Larkham, who was a star of the Wallabies team Jones coached to the 2003 World Cup final, believes that will enliven the selection race.

“It’s going to be a challenge for the guys who probably thought they were secured of a spot for the World Cup,” Larkham said. “Eddie is one of those coaches that really looks at a player’s performance with a fine-tooth comb and he does a lot of background checking on his players."

One thing Jones has pledged not to do is impose demands on the coaches of Australia’s five Super Rugby clubs in terms of style. In New Zealand an orthodoxy of style exists among Super Rugby teams which feeds into the All Blacks. The lack of such a system in Australia may be a problem for the Wallabies coach, but Jones isn’t concerned.

“We don’t tell the Super teams how to play,” he said. “We're not New Zealand or Ireland, we’re Australia. We have a relationship with the Super Rugby coaches but I want them to play the style they want to play.

“What I want to see is that the players play with that toughness that they want to get better, they want to help their teammates in difficult situations.”

Jones at least will be able to use matches between Australian teams and top New Zealand teams as a selection benchmark, particularly the defending champion Crusaders.

“The games against the Crusaders or whoever the strongest New Zealand side is, they are the important selection games,” he said. “It’d be nice to have an Australian side win the Super Rugby final.”

In New Zealand, All Blacks head coach Ian Foster probably already has a clear idea of how his 33-man squad will look. But it’s likely there might be “bolters” whose form will demand his consideration.

Once again, New Zealand Rugby will impose restrictions on the workload of All Blacks during Super Rugby. Players who have played five consecutive games will have to take a week off, but Foster has indicated some flexibility.

“It’s an individualized approach where we look at our players separately,” Foster said. “The overwhelming theme is to have them available for the vast majority of Super Rugby Pacific because that competition is vital for us. But also that we make sure that we do what we can to have a responsible management plan.”

The Crusaders host the Chiefs in the tournament-opener at Christchurch, followed later Friday by the Waratahs at home in Sydney against the Brumbies. On Saturday, the Fijian Drua and Moana Pasifika meet at Mt. Smart Stadium in Auckland, followed by the Highlanders at home to the Blues in Dunedin, the Reds hosting the Wellington-based Hurricanes in Townsville, North Queensland, and the Perth-based Western Force against the Melbourne Rebels.

The Drua also will be playing in front of a new national coach with World Cup places in mind. New Zealand-born Vern Cotter suddenly stepped down as Fiji coach last month and a replacement hasn’t yet been appointed.

Drua head coach Mick Byrne said his players are better prepared than for their debut season last year after a much longer pre-season.

“We’re in a lot better shape this year and we are really excited about what it means to us,” Byrne said. “We want to win as many games as possible and I think the playoffs are a realistic possibility.”

Moana Pasifika also will approach its second Super Rugby Pacific season with confidence.

“Essentially, we’ve got the same team coming back for our second year and although it’s the same team with the same people, it feels different.” head coach Aaron Mauger said. “We’re a year down the track, the players are a lot more mature and aware of the expectations and demands of not only the games but the training environment and how to prepare properly.”

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