2015 feels like a long time ago. It was the year in which Australia last won the Rugby Championship, right before they reached the World Cup final.

It was a time when the Wallabies were in their pomp, enjoying life near the top of the rugby pyramid. Since then, the nation has been on a steady decline, culminating in them dropping down to seventh in the world rankings heading into this season’s Rugby Championship.

It’s a sorry state of affairs which reached a new low when Dave Rennie was released from his head coaching duties at the end of last year.

Brought in to replace him was Eddie Jones, a maverick of the rugby world who possesses one of the most accomplished CVs in the game.

His World Cup win record is monstrous, and his reputation is even more formidable. He’s known for being a brittle character, but that marmite personality often fuels players to put in the added work. Australia expected to benefit from his introduction and quickly bounce back under his tutelage.

Australia’s Rugby Championship opener against South Africa will be Jones’ first game in charge of Australia since he was part of the staff back in the early 2000s.

The coming weeks will serve as an opportunity for Jones to evaluate his squad and hatch a plan for autumn when the hunt for the Webb Ellis trophy kicks into gear.

The former England head coach will be acutely aware of the pitfalls of his side, namely the absence of older heads still in their prime.

That means even more responsibility will fall on the shoulders of co-captains Michael Hooper and James Slipper, who will share leadership responsibilities between themselves in the coming weeks.

The pair have plenty of experience to resort to, both having earnt over 100 international caps in over a decade of service for the Wallabies.

Hooper is the more prolific of the two, having at one point been widely considered the best back-rower in the world. He’s not at the level now, but still, without question, one of the bright sparks in the squad.

His insane work rate elevates everyone around him, his tackling is impressive for a man of a slightly smaller frame, and his jackaling in the ruck is second to none.

Slipper, meanwhile, is a fierce scrummager and leads by example. Having both these men in the squad is a huge asset for Jones as he tries to navigate past the turbulent run of form the nation endured last year.

They picked up valuable wins against Argentina and South Africa in Rugby Championship but, in the end, struggled for consistency, finishing the competition just a point above bottom-placed Argentina.

They also lost their summer series to England – who were then coached by Jones – albeit they did win one of the tests and were within touching distance in the other two.

They also came close to beating Ireland, the number one ranked team in the world, putting up a good fight in Dublin before falling just short, losing 13-10. The physical display which Australia exhibited that day will need to be replicated in the coming months, and a crucial cog in that will be second-row titan Will Skelton.

The 140kg giant has been away from test rugby for a while but has been drawn back into the mix following his imperious form for La Rochelle in the Top 14 and Champions Cup.

His size means he can dominate almost any carry, bullying even the largest of opponents, and that brute force will be imperative for Australia as they work towards and quick rebuild, strengthening their pack in the process.

Championship prediction

There’s definitely a buzz around Australia at the moment, largely because of the element of the unknown, which overshadows the team. No one knows who Jones will put out or even what style of play he will manufacture.

The element of surprise that this generates could help the Wallabies, particularly in the early rounds, but eventually, their approach will be sussed out. That’s when the real challenge will begin.

With such a high level of inexperience in the squad, it’s hard to picture Australia easily riding that storm. They’ve got a few star players, but as a collective unit, the team still feels as though it’s lacking a cutting edge, which is why Australia will finish the tournament third, just as they did last year.

They’ll win a few big games early on but will run out of gas in the latter stages.