Former Australia flyhalf Stephen Larkham believes Eddie Jones will “add a bit of spice into the mix” after taking charge of the Wallabies for a second time.
Jones, who was sacked by England in December, replaces Kiwi Dave Rennie for his second stint in charge after his 2001 to 2005 spell during which he took the Wallabies to the 2003 World Cup final.
Larkham played under Jones for the Wallabies and Brumbies between 1998 and 2005 and has no doubt about his ability to raise Australia’s game.
“I had full trust they’d [Rennie and his assistants] get things together, but bringing someone like Eddie in is always going to be good for the program,” Larkham, who takes over as head coach of the Brumbies this year, told AAP.
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“From the players’ perspective there was probably a comfort level there with Dave. Everything’s been shaken up and everyone will be on edge a bit… everyone knows Eddie’s going to be watching those games [they play].
“It adds a bit of spice into the mix.”
He added: “I’m a big fan of Eddie. I played under him and have been in contact ever since. I’m looking forward to sitting down with him and going through the program… [to] get some of that knowledge out of his head.”
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