Eddie Jones has stressed he is “100 per cent committed” to his job as Australia head coach ahead of a potential Rugby World Cup exit this weekend.
Former England boss Jones, who has been linked to becoming Japan supremo after the tournament, has presided over a miserable campaign.
Pool C defeats to Fiji and Wales mean that Australia will make a pool-stage exit for the first time in World Cup history if Fiji claim a bonus-point win against Georgia on Saturday.
That would render Sunday’s encounter between the Wallabies and Portugal in Saint-Etienne a dead rubber in terms of Australia’s hopes of reaching the quarter-finals.
“All we can do is try to get better every day,” Jones said. “That is the only thing we can do.
“We’ve got a young squad here, I purposefully picked a young squad – I think they are the best players in Australia.
“There is no lack of desire, no lack of work ethic, no lack of spirit in the team. They are a great bunch of boys.
“We are just not good enough at the moment, but if we keep working the way we are, we will be.
“It’s not really about me, it is about the team. My only job is to get the team prepared as well as I can.
“I am 100 per cent committed to the job, and I’ve said that previously.
“I love coaching and I love the challenge. That’s the reason I came back to Australia, because I wanted to make a difference and I apologise I haven’t made a difference, but I want to make a difference.”
Jones has made three changes for the Portugal encounter, with flanker Fraser McReight earning a start in the number seven shirt and Tom Hooper moving to blindside instead of Robert Leota.
A new centre combination, meanwhile, sees Izaia Perese and Lalakai Foketi partnered in midfield.
Prop James Slipper will clock up an Australian record of 21 World Cup appearances, eclipsing the mark set by former scrum-half George Gregan 16 years ago.
Jones added: “If people have got a problem with results they come to me, right. And at the end of the tournament I will stand by that.
“If there needs to be a fall guy for the World Cup, then it is obviously me. When you become a head coach for a team, you take on that responsibility.
“The playing group has been absolutely fantastic, I couldn’t ask any more from them. So, therefore if there needs to be someone responsible for the performance, it’s me.”
