MELBOURNE (Reuters) -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 centre 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 they were hammered 54-27 by Australia's under-20 side in Coffs Harbour last week.
(Reporting by Ian Ransom in Melbourne; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
