Former Test five-eighth Berrick Barnes is in talks to reunite with his first professional rugby coach as a star addition to the Wallabies’ backroom staff, while former attack coach Scott Wisemantel has agreed to help out his old boss Eddie Jones.
Barnes is believed to be in discussions about a skills and kicking role with the Wallabies and Super Rugby clubs, similar to the one he recently took on as a consultant to Newcastle in the NRL.
The 51-Test playmaker, who played almost 50 games for both the Reds and Waratahs before moving to Japan to play under Robbie Deans with Panasonic for five years, met with Jones 10 days ago.
Barnes is close to Wisemantel, with both men based at Lennox Head in northern NSW and regular sightings at the local rugby club.
Wisemantel, too, has agreed to help the Wallabies as a consultant, but has no plans to return full time to the program he left, citing family reasons, last year. The 52-year-old was Jones’s attack coach with England and was instrumental, along with then-forwards coach Steve Borthwick, in England’s steamrolling path to the 2019 World Cup final.
He then lent his services to the Wallabies under Dave Rennie and, while not interested in a formal return, had offered to lend his expert eye and judgement to Rennie, and now Jones, whenever he was called upon. It is half a win for the Wallabies coach, who has tried hard to convince his former colleague to step back into the fray.
Eddie Jones, centre, will look to Scott Wisemantel and Berrick Barnes for help at the Wallabies.Credit:Getty
Elsewhere, Jones revealed he would bring in former AFL coach Neil Craig, a longtime advisor he put in charge of high performance when he joined England.
He is yet to announce the rest of his coaching structure, but is hopeful forwards coach Dan McKellar will see out the World Cup with the Wallabies before looking for head coaching opportunities elsewhere. McKellar is in the mix to replace Borthwick at UK Premiership side Leicester, reportedly shortlisted by the top English club.