The Sydney Morning Herald’s Tom Decent has become one of the biggest names in rugby union over the last couple of months with his reporting on former Wallabies coach Eddie Jones.
Decent first revealed that Jones had interviewed for the vacant Japanese head coaching role just days before the World Cup, a claim that Jones adamantly denied on several occasions.
Despite the consistent denial, it came with very little shock when Jones was formally presented as Japan’s new coach last week. Seemingly to the shock of Jones, Decent was in attendance for the press conference in Tokyo and asked several harsh questions about his untimely departure from the Wallabies.
Speaking to SEN, Decent reflected on the press conference, his relationship with Jones and the last couple of months trying to prove his reporting had substance to it.
“I think Eddie understands the journalism game, I’m just doing my job and his job is to coach a rugby coach,” Decent told SEN 1170 Afternoons.
“He blocked my number after that famous Sydney airport press conference where he went a few reporters, I never really got to the bottom of why.
“Then obviously a few days later it emerged that he had been speaking to Japan, the only exchanges I’ve had with him have been at press conferences.
“They’ve been tense and make for good TV fodder as well but ultimately, we were just trying to ascertain the truth, it’s not just me against him or the herald against him, it’s Australian rugby fans who deserve to know his true intentions.”
Both Jones and board members of the JRFU denied the meeting prior to the World Cup was a formal interview but Decent remains adamant he has the evidence to support his claim.
“Ultimately we labelled it a first-round interview for a reason, we obtained a screenshot of that interview which said first-round interview, Eddie Jones, JRFU,” Decent added.
“We also spoke to individuals who were very close to the situation, they told us things which we haven’t printed… which would absolutely indicate that it wasn’t just having a chat to a recruiter about (his experiences) as Japan coach.
“I think Eddie was being a bit cute there and got cornered a bit, I don’t think they understand exactly what we had.
“It’s an interesting to spin that as well, funnily enough, the Japan chairman who (said) it was only recruiters that Eddie was speaking to, well he was on the call as well and we proved that.”
Jones’ second stint as the coach of the Brave Blossoms starts off with clashes against England and the All Blacks scheduled for the middle of 2024.