Melbourne ¨C Eddie Jones¡¯s return to Coogee Oval ended on a sour note as his under-23 Japan team fell 36-31 to his old club Randwick in Sydney on Tuesday.
It was a small measure of revenge for Australian rugby after Jones oversaw the Wallabies¡¯ worst World Cup performance at France in 2023 before quitting in acrimony to take the head coach job in Japan for a second time.
Felix Turinui, the son of former Wallabies center Morgan, set up Randwick¡¯s after-the-siren victory with a cross-kick that winger Christian Yassmin latched onto for the winning try, sparking cheers from a crowd of several thousand at the suburban ground.
A former hooker at Randwick, Jones played 210 games for the ¡°Galloping Greens¡± and is described in the club¡¯s Hall of Fame as a ¡°tigerish forward who played well above his weight.¡±
One of the traditional powerhouses of Sydney club rugby, Randwick produced a slew of iconic Wallabies including George Gregan, David Campese and the Ella brothers.
The under-23 Japan team¡¯s defeat came after it was hammered 54-27 by Australia¡¯s under-20 side in Coffs Harbour last week.
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