Dual World Cup winner Sonny Bill Williams has accused Eddie Jones of playing "mind games" with his young charges and fears the Wallabies coach will have lost the dressing room after a disastrous exit from the global showpiece.
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Australia is staring at its first-ever Rugby World Cup group stage exit following a 40-6 loss to Wales in Lyon on Monday amid reports Jones had been interviewed for the Japan job in the lead-up to the tournament.
Jones denies having talks about returning to take charge of the country he led to the 2015 World Cup.
But if he has, Williams believes the 63-year-old's position with the Wallabies appears untenable.
"Look, all I can speak on is my experience as a player and, as a player, if a coach shows his characteristics and does things like that, I'm not going to follow him into battle," Williams told Stan.
"I've got to be prepared to die for a coach and go out there and give my heart and soul.
"And if someone's potentially doing that, and the narrative that he's been saying about [coaching] the jersey, about the next four years, that's how I feel."
Jones rejected questions about his commitment to the Wallabies in the post-match press conference and threatened to walk out if they persisted.
Asked if he had been interviewed for the Japan coaching job, Jones replied: "I don't know what you're talking about, mate.
Pressed further, he said: "I said I don't know what you're talking about, mate ... I am committed to coach Australia. I'm committed to coach Australia.
"... I really take umbrage at the questioning my commitment to coaching Australia. I've been working non stop since I came here. I've apologised for the results.
"But to doubt my commitment to the job is a bit red hot. So we're not going to deal with any of those questions any further. I'm happy to talk about Wales, happy to talk about Portugal. If you want to keep going down that [commitment] line, I'll excuse myself."
Jones was hailed as a messiah when he returned to the Wallabies job this year on a deal taking him through until the end of the 2027 World Cup on home soil.
But Williams believes Jones faces a tall order to get players back onside with the team's World Cup campaign in tatters.
"If I'm a player, I'm not following a guy that's having a meeting with another national team, potentially looking for another job, days before you're hopping on the plane to come to this World Cup," the dual international said.
The abrasive Jones has now lost 15 of his last 17 Tests as Wallabies coach over his two stints in charge of Australia.
His decision to leave the likes of veterans Quade Cooper and Michael Hooper at home while blooding young players has also been met with stinging criticism.
Ireland Test great Rob Kearney described the Wallabies as "outrageously poorly coached" on Irish broadcaster Virgin, and said Jones' tendency to burn through his support staff must have had an effect.
"If you want to rebuild a nation, you want a coach in there who brings people together, not totally disjoint the whole thing," Kearney said.
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Williams could not comprehend the non-selection of Hooper - Australia's most-capped captain - and said the youngsters, who "had lost belief", would be psychologically scarred by their showing in France.
"Where we are right now? Questions need to be asked," Williams said.
"From selections to the mind games Eddie has been playing with these kids.
"There's a guy in the studio back home [Hooper] who should be here right now.
"The proof is in the pudding - 40-6 is really embarrassing, and I feel for these kids, they're going to carry this on for the rest of their careers and feel this."
Jones, though, found an unlikely ally in Hooper, who said while the heat on the coach was understandable, the Wallabies' failures weren't all his fault.
"I'm going throw a bit of a counter to Sonny," the discarded flanker told Stan.
"I've been in the environment, I've been in the camp ... there's no lack of desire for that guy to make this team the best it can possibly be.
"So let's just pull the brakes a bit off Eddie."
The Wallabies face minnows Portugal in their final pool game next Monday (AEDT) but their chances of advancing to the knockout stages will depend on Fiji imploding against Georgia and the Portuguese.
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Australian Associated Press
