“They give you a call if you didn’t make it and tell you why. If you did make it,it just pops up on Insta.”

During his first press conference as Wallabies coach in January,Jones name-dropped Donaldson and has done so on a number of other occasions.

Both hail from the Randwick club where Jones cut his teeth as a player and coach.

“I haven’t been playing the way I want to be but whenever the national coach is name-dropping you,it’s always a confidence booster,” Donaldson said. “My focus at the moment has just been the Tahs.”

One thing about Donaldson is that he doesn’t shirk responsibility. On debut against Italy last year,Donaldson missed a conversion after full-time that would have handed the Wallabies a memorable win. An hour later,after being consoled by teammates,Donaldson greeted theHerald outside the change-rooms in Florence for an interview.

Others wouldn’t do the same.

On Saturday,Donaldson kicked out on the full in the dying moments against the Brumbies.

It was a costly error from within the Waratahs’ half as Brumbies winger Corey Toole ran past Donaldson moments later to score the match-winning try.

“The plan was to kick it long down field and back our defence ... and finish off the game,” Donaldson said. “Unfortunately,my ball drop was a bit off and it came off a bit wrong on my foot. It went out by a metre. It is very annoying to look back at.

“It hurts but that comes down to me and my kick execution. I take responsibility for that and I’ve got to work harder on that skill and make sure next time it doesn’t happen again.

“Everyone’s going to make mistakes. It’s how you respond and learn from it so you don’t make them again.

“We were so close. We probably did everything in our power to win that game. The vibe was pretty dull after the game. There is positivity around the group though.”

Jones called Donaldson on Monday to congratulate him and offer some guidance on what he needs to improve on. After close to three months of planning,Jones will finally get his hands on potential Wallabies prospects.

Anxious players have no idea what to expect.

“There’s been a lot said about Eddie coming in and there are a bit of nerves,” Donaldson said. “We know we have the first shot and it’s up to us to stay there.

“You don’t just want to be in the squad,you want to be playing.”

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