Australian rugby is still feeling the aftershocks of Eddie Jones’ miserable one-year return, with Carter Gordon’s departure to the NRL, in part, 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’ gamble on the highest stage is continuing to haunt Australian rugby following the departure of Gordon to the NRL.
While To’omua wouldn’t pick Gordon for the upcoming Tests against Wales and Georgia given the Lions tour is just 12 months out, the former playmaker said it was no surprise the 23-year-old had struggled with consistency given the events of the past 12 months, which included the culling of the Melbourne Rebels.
“This time last year, Carter Gordon would have been one of the best players in Australian rugby at a Super Rugby level,” To’omua said on The Roar Rugby podcast.
“He’s gone through his club getting dissolved and the insecurity that brings. He’s gone through getting kicked out of a World Cup at the pool stages. It’s hard to blame someone like this wanting to escape that.
“I don’t know if the Titans is going to make things better but it’s just where we’re [Australian rugby] at, unfortunately.
“I don’t think he’s our best 10 in Australia at the moment.
“That being said, he 100 per cent deserves to be in or around that squad. He 100 per cent could have easily worked himself into the 10 spot later in the year, and I think it’s extremely sad to see a guy like him leave.
“He’s responding to incentives. He’s responding to getting kicked out of a World Cup and getting embarrassed and humiliated over there.
“We start looking at Eddie Jones and he wanted to go there and maybe give guys an experience and say, ‘In four years, they’re going to be better for it.’
“Well, no. Having a bad experience at a World Cup is not going to help you in any way, shape, or form. If anything, it will just give you so many more demons.
“I feel like we’re seeing that with Marky Mark [Nawaqanitawase] leaving and now Carter leaving, these are guys who Eddie might have said, ‘Yep, they’re going to benefit from getting this time in France at a World Cup,’ but clearly that hasn’t been the case.”
Carter Gordon reacts following the Wallabies’ loss to Wales in their third World Cup pool match at Parc Olympique on September 24, 2023 in Lyon. (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)
To’omua’s comments come nine months after World Cup winner Michael Lynagh raised concerns about the mental scars from the 2023 World Cup that might linger.
“My overriding emotion is one of sadness,” Lynagh told BBC’s Rugby Union Daily podcast.
“Australia really haven’t fired a shot at this World Cup and it’s really disappointing. I feel for the players. They’re not bad players and they’ve worked really hard but when they get out on the field it just doesn’t seem to click for them.
“I feel the way this has gone there’s going to be a few of them that might struggle to get over this experience. I hope not.”
Eddie Jones and Carter Gordon talk during a Wallabies training session. (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)
To’omua, who played alongside Gordon at the Rebels and played in the 2015 World Cup final before bowing out in the 2019 quarter-finals, said Jones’ great gamble backfired spectacularly.
“It’s really frustrating,” To’omua said. “If you look at that World Cup, you look at how we gambled, we played poker at a World Cup level and we disrespected a World Cup tournament.
“The excuse given was that ‘these are guys who will be better for it in four years.’ That was clearly the wrong choice. That was clearly awful for Australian rugby.
“We’ve seen guys leave now.
“Personally, if I go to a World Cup and I get knocked out and get embarrassed as the worst Wallaby team ever at a World Cup, I’m not feeling any more confident next year and go, ‘Oh geez, thank God I got embarrassed and beaten by 40 from Wales.’
“By no means is that a good experience and is that setting us up for success in the future. I think we’re still seeing a bit of a fallout of the Eddie Jones era, quite frankly.”
Matt To’omua believes Noah Lolesio must be the Wallabies’ first-choice fly-half. (Photo by Albert Perez/Getty Images)
New Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt is set to name his first Test squad on Friday.
Gordon, who started the first two Tests at the World Cup before being dropped to the bench for the loss against Wales, was removed from Schmidt’s wider training squad last week when he signed with the Gold Coast Titans.
To’omua said Schmidt couldn’t pick Gordon given there are just 14 Tests before the Wallabies face the British and Irish Lions on Australian shores.
Instead, To’omua said the Wallabies needed to invest in Brumbies playmaker Noah Lolesio, who has just finished his fifth Super Rugby campaign and played the last of his 17 Tests in the stunning come-from-behind win over Wales in November 2022.
“I wouldn’t pick him in that squad,” To’omua said. “I wouldn’t pick Marky Mark as well for the exact same reason.
“At the end of the day, this year is an important year as every year is but next year is more important, quite frankly.
“This year’s results will be justified if next year is a success.
“Joe Schmidt is an experienced coach. He understands that.
“He’ll be trying to get 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 need to get them 15 more Tests to their name, so when they come against the Lions next year, these are some hardened Wallabies.
“These are some guys who have been through and have understood how to win at altitude, how to win in the wet, how to win on a dry track. These are guys who have got that experience now.
“So, I think, quite frankly, we need to move on and we need to somehow prioritise that Lions series next year.”