‘If you can’t run fast, I’ve got this’ – Eddie Jones issued bizarre cattle prod threat during ill-fated Wallabies tenure

Colin Newboult
New Japan head coach Eddie Jones.

Former Wallabies and England head coach Eddie Jones.

Eddie Jones used a cattle prod in an attempt to motivate his Wallabies players, it has been revealed in a new documentary which will air next month.

The Wallabies: Inside Rugby World Cup 2023 will be shown on Stan on February 22, detailing their campaign in France.

Jones took charge of Australia in January 2023 but could only lead them to two victories – against Georgia and Portugal – during his time in charge.

Criticism

The 63-year-old was heavily criticised for a number of his decisions, while his methods have also come into question.

This documentary will shed some light on what went on during his ill-fated 10 months at the helm, including using a cattle prod for ‘motivation’.

It was revealed in April that he used the tactic during their first team meeting to give wing Suliasi Vunivalu a “wake-up call.”

And a trailer released on Monday showed Jones with the device, saying: “If you can’t run fast, I’ve got this – the cattle prodder. Bang!”

His ideas evidently did not rub off on the team with Australia suffering an early exit from the Rugby World Cup.

They lost seven of their nine matches under the head coach, including the key World Cup games against Fiji and Wales, which ultimately decided their fate.

Japan controversy

The latter defeat – a 40-6 reversal at the hands of Warren Gatland’s men – came on the day it was reported that Jones held a Zoom interview with the Japanese Rugby Football Union in late August.

He initially denied that it took place before finally admitting, upon his unveiling as the Brave Blossoms’ new boss, that there was a Zoom call.

However, he rejected the idea that it was an official interview with JRFU officials, instead insisting that it was a chat with a recruitment agency to help the governing body with their search for a new head coach.

That saga appears to be covered in the upcoming documentary, alongside the other lows that occurred during his second stint in charge of the Wallabies.

It certainly won’t make for happy viewing for Australian supporters, but it may give an insight into where it truly went wrong for the country at the World Cup.

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Australia Eddie Jones

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