Stephen Larkham is open to coaching the Wallabies but says he has had no discussions with Rugby Australia about replacing Eddie Jones. The 1999 World Cup-winning great was coy when asked about his interest in the role on Thursday, but admitted he was keen to help Australian rugby in any way he could.

The coach of the ACT Brumbies is considered a top candidate to take over for Jones, who resigned as Wallabies coach after only 10 months of his five-year contract.

On Thursday, Larkham expressed his interest in assisting the development of rugby in Australia.

“Our organization has a strong belief in promoting the growth of the game. I am eager to contribute in any way possible to enhance our results and expand our presence in the sporting world.”

However, Larkham, who has been leading the Brumbies for two years in his second term, stated that he has not received any communication from RA regarding Jones’ disastrous leadership.

“I am currently quite busy with my job, and the RA (Rugby Australia) also has many tasks at hand,” stated Larkham.

“We have had several changes within our staff since the conclusion of Super Rugby. As a result, our coaches have had a productive planning period. Our goal is to improve upon last year’s performance… Personally, I have been fully dedicated to this program.”

Former ACT CEO Dan McKellar, along with ex-Wallabies assistant under Michael Cheika, Stephen Larkham, are top contenders for the position, but RA is not expected to make a hasty decision in selecting a replacement for Jones.

Between 2015 and 2019, Larkham served as the Wallabies’ offensive coach. He then spent three years with Irish team Munster. McKellar was part of former head coach Dave Rennie’s staff until Rennie left to join Leicester earlier this year.

The Australian national rugby team, the Wallabies, did not advance past the group stage in the Rugby World Cup in France last month, which was a first in their history. When questioned about the team’s unsuccessful performance, coach Larkham pointed out that the eventual winners, South Africa, demonstrated the challenging nature of the tournament.

According to Larkham, the team’s recent victories were decided by a single point, which was determined by a referee’s decision. He believes that this one mistake had a major impact on the team’s success. There may have been other similar instances that could have altered the overall story of the Wallabies.

I comprehended Eddie’s ideology of uniting the younger group and attempting to achieve something together… there was a chance that we could have achieved it.

Source: theguardian.com