Sonny Bill's plea to Wallabies after Jones farce

Sonny Bill Williams has outlined what he believes Rugby Australia should be looking for in its new Wallabies head coach. 

After less than a year at the helm, Eddie Jones vacated the role in the wake of Australia's worst campaign at a Rugby World Cup – failing to make the quarter-finals for the first time.

Now the sport's governing body is on the hunt for a new spearhead to bring stability to the national team. 

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A few names have been linked to the team. Ex-Ireland head coach and New Zealand assistant Joe Schmidt has been strongly linked with the likes of Michael Chieka (ex-Argentina) and Ian Foster (ex-New Zealand) also potential candidates.

Pumas coach Michael Cheika (C) shakes hands with Wallabies Coach Eddie Jones prior to The Rugby Championship match between the Wallabies and Argentina.

In any case, Williams believes a low-key approach would be a nice change from the rollercoaster ride Australian rugby endured under Jones.

Asked what Rugby Australia should be looking for, Williams told Wide World of Sports the Wallabies need "someone that believes in the system. Someone that believes in what Australia is trying to do".

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"Obviously we found out through the Eddie Jones saga that it was all about him," he said.

"A great coach is … I believe it's not all about him, it's about the players, it's about what they're trying to achieve. 

"Someone that knows the game through and through but knows that we're dealing with different kids these days, different young men that are energised through different ways of action.

Eddie Jones and Sonny Bill Williams split image

"Someone that can connect with the players and get these players operating at 90, 95 per cent of their capacity each time they run the field. That's easier said than done. 

"The Australian rugby union needs to sit there with confidence in what they have.

"I felt like when it came to Eddie Jones, the way that he talked and the way that he was manipulating things.

"I'm sitting here thinking, 'Man, he's acting like he's the saviour and we need him', no you need us. 

"I feel like we're in that kind of state in Australian rugby where there's so much talent out there. We love to sit here and point out all the things that are going wrong but there's so many things that are going right and potentially could shoot back up the way.

"There's so much talent there. You need to give this bloke access to everything, in terms of strategic access, pathway access, all of that stuff.

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"You have a long-term vision. We've seen that you can't get someone and try and get a quick fix. It's not the reality. The reality is it's gonna be a process.

"But the transparency for the Australian public, they need to see that, see what's happening.

"(Tell them) 'Okay, this is what's happening now, this is what's happening'. Bring in all of these teams aligned. You'll gradually gain that confidence back from the public, but then also you start seeing the results I believe."

In any case, Williams is happy to see steps being taken forward in terms of alignment and pathway development.

"I think that's the whole holistic view that these people need to have for the game to flourish at the top and the bottom," he added.

Ian Foster and Sonny Bill Williams at Stade de France.

"Maybe in the early 2000s, Australian rugby union didn't do that because they just had the luxury of having all of these special players that came through them in the '90s and early 2000s. Whereas now they've had to have a real hard look at themselves and hit the reset button. 

"It needs to happen, but it's not all despair. I'm not looking at things with the glass half empty, it should be a glass half full. They still have some great talent, world class players, still competing at the highest level, they just need to fix a few things up and they could be firing all cylinders."

The All Blacks legend has had experience with some of union and league's best.

At the Canterbury Bulldogs he worked with Steve Folkes and then Trent Robinson at the Sydney Roosters.

His move across codes saw him coached by Todd Blackadder at the Crusaders and then Dave Rennie at the Chiefs, who went on to coach the Wallabies briefly.

Former All Blacks player Sonny Bill Williams looks on prior to the Rugby World Cup France quarter-final match between Ireland and New Zealand.

However, two of the most notable names for Williams to have worked with remain Graham Henry and Steve Hansen with whom he won the Rugby World Cup with in 2011 and 2015.

Williams said in his past experience that the head coach needs to be more than the title suggests.

"In my experience, I always wanted to get the best out of me. I always needed to believe that my coach was there for the cause," he explained.

"He needs to be more than just a coach. He needs to be someone that I can rely on as a person and lean on and ask for advice and certain other aspects or areas of my life. 

"I don't think some of these players would be able to do that when it comes to Eddie and his actions. 

"Not just from this last stint in charge of the Wallabies, it's all started to come, all these bridges that he's burned in how he's treated people, what he's done. It's actually really sad."

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