Even as his Wallabies slipped to a 0-3 record to start 2023, Eddie Jones isn't hiding.
For the third week in a row, the 63-year-old will be forced to return to the drawing board after a performance that saw his side finish second best.
As the Rugby Championship concluded on Saturday, Jones' Australia finished bottom of the pile.
A first-up defeat to South Africa, weakened by sending players to New Zealand in advance, followed by an added-time loss to Argentina was bookended with another blow at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
For the 21st year in a row, the All Blacks retained the Bledisloe Cup with a 38-7 victory, sending both sides to Dunedin for a dead rubber next week.
Ironically, Jones was the last Wallabies coach to win the Bledisloe, albeit in his first tenure back in 2002, but looks a long way off repeating that feat come 2024.
Throughout the build-up to Saturday's test, Jones did his best to build the theatre of an All Blacks-Wallabies test.
After losing to Argentina two weeks ago, Jones stated "if I was the All Blacks, I'd look out" before doubling down by - jokingly - claiming the New Zealand economy would suffer if his side were to win at the MCG.
And while ultimately his showmanship has left him red faced, Jones is by far the best thing to happen to trans-Tasman rugby relations in a long time.
Still, as the man at the forefront of the Wallabies' struggles, Jones has to hold up his hands until Australia's fortunes turn.
But as Jones fronted media post-match on Saturday, he instructed Wallabies media manager Marty Cambridge to let reporters hold his feet to the fire.
"It's a terrible result, I take full responsibility for it," said Jones. "But I'm pleased the way the players applied themselves in the first 20 [minutes], and the first bit of the second half.
"We had them under pressure for a long period in the second half, but got no points out of it.
"I'm so proud of our players, [with] the way they've gone about their work. They've worked really hard.
"But we know it's not good enough. We apologise to all the fans, it's not good enough.
"That's my fault, my responsibility. I'll take it on the chin."
Jones has a point.
In the first 20 minutes at the MCG, the Wallabies did what the Pumas and Springboks could not.
The All Blacks' start to 2023 has seen them, mostly, come flying out of the blocks in the opening 20 minutes.
On Saturday, though, the Wallabies didn't allow them to do so, and even became the first team this year to take the lead against Ian Foster's men.
But, Jones knows his side's fortunes will always rest on more than 20 minute spells.
"If you arrived from Mars, and watched the first 20 minutes, you'd probably think the gold team is the stronger team, that's the reality," he continued.
"But, you've got to be able to do it for 80 minutes. When you put teams under pressure, you've got to be able to convert that into points.
"We're not good enough to do that at the moment. That's a step we need to take."
Saturday's loss was the Wallabies' third defeat in a row, and sixth defeat in their last seven tests - taking predecessor Dave Rennie's tenure into account.
That could get even worse, with another test against the All Blacks before a warm-up match against World Cup hosts France still to come before this year's tournament.
But after guiding Australia through an equally dismal spell before the 2003 World Cup, Jones assures fans his side have what it takes to contend further down the track.
"Where there's life, there's hope," he said.
"I've coached teams like this before, and you can turn it around. I saw enough today to know that we can be a bloody good team.
"I'm telling you, we can turn it around [and] be a very good team.
"For the fans, they've got to keep being hopeful. Keep praying, whatever God they've got, keep praying."
