Your rugby headlines on Sunday December 11.
Eddie lined up for new job and hits back at critics
Eddie Jones is being linked with what is being dubbed a 'sensational' rugby return for the World Cup which would see him lock horns with Wales.
The axed England boss is being eyed up by Australia to join their coaching team for the tournament next autumn as the Wallabies look to 'weaponise' what has just happened this week.
Jones was relieved of his duties following a poor year of results and an RFU review into what had gone wrong. He is expected to be replaced full-time with England by Leicester boss Steve Borthwick.
But Rugby Australia chairman Hamish McClennan has told the Mail they are looking at how to 'parachute Jones into their plans for France 2023.'
Australia meet Wales, Georgia, Fiji and Portugal in the group stages and a shock return for Jones, in whatever capacity, would see him lock horns once more with new Welsh boss Warren Gatland. The two men went toe to toe many times when in charge of England and Wales in the Six Nations.
"Eddie is clearly a massive talent and campaigner in World Cups,’ said McClennan. "We’ve got Dave Rennie in place but we need to think how we can weaponise these recent events for Australia if Eddie wants to come home.
"I’m surprised this has happened. Is Australia ready for Eddie? For the most part, people love him."
Jones also spoke out in Australia this weekend and dismissed criticism of the way he has coached England despite losing his job just nine months out from the World Cup.
"In this job I’ve learned it’s impossible to avoid being moved on,” Jones told the Sydney Morning Herald. "It comes with the gig. But I’m proud of what we accomplished in my time with England and I wish I had the opportunity to finish what I started.
"The critics are having their say. My only response is that I have coached a certain way my whole career and I’m happy with that, and I’m not about to change anything when it comes to my dedication, expectations and determination to get things done. I’m not going to get into anything more than that.
“As for my next step, well I think everyone knows I love a scrap and I’m up for whatever challenge is next. I’m open to looking at everything in rugby. Nothing is off the table. It’s about the right job at the right time and I will look at it.“
Young's warning over player exodus
Cardiff boss David Young has warned a number of players could join the exodus from Welsh rugby by the end of the season.
Young watched his side thrash Brive 41-0 in their Champions Cup opener and then addressed the loss of star young centre Max Llewellyn, who is leaving for the English Premiership in the summer. He goes amid a freeze on offering new contracts to players in Wales, with the Welsh Rugby Union and the four regions yet to sign a six-year funding framework on the way forward.
"Can you blame these players?" said Young. "That's the question we've got to ask ourselves. Unfortunately they've got to look at their futures, their job security and at this moment in time, until things are resolved, we are pretty much in a situation where we can't do anything on that.
"At the end of the day they've got mortgages to pay, they've got careers, and they've got to look at. He (Max) isn't the first and he certainly won't be the last unless things can get resolved very quickly.
"We've got 20-odd players out of contract and I couldn't tell you if any of them are going to be here. At the end of the day we want to keep the majority of the players but if this goes on for much longer and if people start putting contracts in front of these players they have to do what is best for them.
"I don't think players are desperate to leave Welsh rugby but at the end of the day they have to look after themselves."
Ospreys newcomer kicks off Euro campaign
The Ospreys, Wales' sole representatives in the Heineken Champions Cup, kick off their Euro campaign at home to Leicester Tigers at tea-time.
New signing Owen Williams figures on the bench against his old club, the 30-year-old having been brought in this week as a short-term replacement for the injured Gareth Anscombe.
The Ospreys also wheel out their Wales big guns, with Alex Cuthbert, George North, Joe Hawkins, Rhys Webb, Nicky Smith, Scott Baldwin, Tom Francis, Adam Beard, Alun Wyn Jones, Jac Morgan and Justin Tipuric among those starting.
Champs off to a flier
Reigning champions La Rochelle showed they are in no mood to release their grip on the Heineken Champions Cup as they put Northampton to the sword in a 46-12 triumph.
Even without head coach Ronan O'Gara, serving a 10-week touchline ban, in their dugout, they stuck to their ruthless game plan and plundered their four-try bonus point before the first half had ended. That made it 32-0 at the break and they scored two more tries early in the second half to extend their lead to 46.
For La Rochelle it was a 10th game unbeaten in the tournament and a statement of intent by O'Gara's team as they launch the defence of their crown. Only four teams have won back-to-back titles since the first final in 1996 - Leicester, Leinster, Toulon and Saracens.
"It was a really good start and our forwards laid an extremely good platform for us to work off. It always starts up front with them," said New Zealand international scrum-half Tawera Kerr-Barlow. "We are very happy with the way we played for most of the evening, but as you could see from the last 20 minutes there is plenty to work on. It wasn't a complete match by any means."
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