Eddie Jones fires shots at New Zealand ahead of Rugby Championship clash

The Australia head coach attempted to pile the pressure on New Zealand by claiming the "country sinks" when Ian Foster's men lose.

Jones is looking to raise the stakes against a side who are unbeaten in nine matches and attempting to once again retain the Rugby Championship.

Having succumbed to successive defeats, the Wallabies are arguably the team that needs the result more than their opponents, but the 63-year-old focused on what rugby means to the Kiwis.

"There's nothing better than winning against New Zealand because you feel the country sinking, right?" Jones told reporters.

"It's not just rugby sinks; the country sinks. The whole economy goes down. The prime minister is there with his fingers crossed, hoping the All Blacks win because he knows the economy is going to drop if they lose. So we can have that effect."

Jones is also hoping that it has a positive effect on the game in Australia. Around 85,000 people are set to be in attendance at Melbourne Cricket Ground, and a Wallabies win would provide a significant boost.

"And at the same time, Australian kids will want to play rugby again. Because, at the moment, too many of them want to play AFL," he said.

"We want kids to play rugby because it's the greatest game of all. We have a bit of a job here to do. Maybe put the New Zealand prime minister on call that the economy is going to suffer, and at the same time, raise our stakes here."

The Wallabies head coach's next target was the New Zealand media, who he stated were simply "fans with keyboards."

"We're an Australian team; we're developing as a team. Can we put the Kiwis under pressure on Saturday? Yes," Jones said.

"And I think some people are going to get a surprise. I can see the way you're sitting here and thinking, ˜What's this bloke talking about? How can this Australian team do it?' The All Blacks have been fantastic for the first two games¦ but you're still fans with keyboards, right? Nothing's changed."

Jones did have sympathy with one New Zealander, however, and that was head coach Ian Foster, who has received plenty of criticism during his time in charge.

"I really felt for him. He had a board that reacted to media pressure, the appointment of a coaching job," Jones said.

"He could go on and produce one of the greatest All Black teams, and then his fate's already sealed. And I think that's why we've seen a different approach from New Zealand this year; normally, in a World Cup year, they're very measured in their build-up, and they want to peak at the World Cup.

"But I think because of the situation, maybe they've taken a different approach, and I've never seen a New Zealand team come out in a Rugby Championship ready to go straight away, fly in, and we've seen that in the first two games.

"That approach can be highly successful, and it also has its disadvantages."