Planet Rugby Forum

Jensrsa wrote:JM has somehow been able to cultivate this "misunderstood guru" aura even though his results totally contradict this image

eldanielfire wrote:

Frodder wrote:

eldanielfire wrote:England had their worst 6 Nations since forever and lost a series against South Africa while been shredding players due to injury. I can't imagine what a disaster would be at this point.

That's the "since forever" I was partly referring to. Of course the period of 2004 -2010 (minus the weird world cup run in 2007) might qualify as well.

Frodder wrote:

eldanielfire wrote:

Frodder wrote:

eldanielfire wrote:England had their worst 6 Nations since forever and lost a series against South Africa while been shredding players due to injury. I can't imagine what a disaster would be at this point.

That's the "since forever" I was partly referring to. Of course the period of 2004 -2010 (minus the weird world cup run in 2007) might qualify as well.

Excellent, using that logic all our shitty results (you can join in when you come to our thread) all our 90's results are absolved

Frodder wrote:

eldanielfire wrote:

Frodder wrote:

eldanielfire wrote:England had their worst 6 Nations since forever and lost a series against South Africa while been shredding players due to injury. I can't imagine what a disaster would be at this point.

That's the "since forever" I was partly referring to. Of course the period of 2004 -2010 (minus the weird world cup run in 2007) might qualify as well.

Excellent, using that logic all our shitty results (you can join in when you come to our thread) all our 90's results are absolved

Bloutoria wrote:Johan Ackerman is a gift that keeps on giving it seems.

https://www.sport24.co.za/Rugby/ackerma ... b-20180920

Solves the Bulls Cashflow problems, performance problems as well destroy England rugby team. So much power.

Bloutoria wrote:Johan Ackerman is a gift that keeps on giving it seems.

https://www.sport24.co.za/Rugby/ackerma ... b-20180920

Solves the Bulls Cashflow problems, performance problems as well destroy England rugby team. So much power.

Chilli wrote:

Bloutoria wrote:Johan Ackerman is a gift that keeps on giving it seems.

https://www.sport24.co.za/Rugby/ackerma ... b-20180920

Solves the Bulls Cashflow problems, performance problems as well destroy England rugby team. So much power.

But, but Jens assured us that JM had nothing to do with the Lions success, yet here Ackerman is lauding him.

Jensrsa wrote:

Chilli wrote:

Bloutoria wrote:Johan Ackerman is a gift that keeps on giving it seems.

https://www.sport24.co.za/Rugby/ackerma ... b-20180920

Solves the Bulls Cashflow problems, performance problems as well destroy England rugby team. So much power.

But, but Jens assured us that JM had nothing to do with the Lions success, yet here Ackerman is lauding him.

Unless you have access to more information all I see is a reference from Ackers mentioning his technical skills.

Ackermann and Mitchell previously worked together at the Lions and the former Springbok lock has hailed England’s decision to appoint Mitchell.

Ackermann said Mitchell would add value to England.

“It’s great

he’s a good breakdown coach, he’s a good attacking coach

Jensrsa wrote:That's it? From that you deduce that Ackers credits JM for his success as a coach at the Lions and Gloucester?

Added Glaws because if you credit him with the Lions success you might as well add Glaws' potential success too

james garner wrote:We know Eddie has a short shelf life, comes in motivates the players, gets results then starts to piss everyone off. Maybe Eddie knows this and his response is to bring in a new character in a similar vein who can be a new focus point to start the process again, or so that the players start to think that Eddie isn't too bad and start responding to him

Either that or the RFU still don't have a clue.. I

booji boy wrote:

james garner wrote:We know Eddie has a short shelf life, comes in motivates the players, gets results then starts to piss everyone off. Maybe Eddie knows this and his response is to bring in a new character in a similar vein who can be a new focus point to start the process again, or so that the players start to think that Eddie isn't too bad and start responding to him

Either that or the RFU still don't have a clue.. I

A lot of ifs, buts and maybes in that analysis.

Eddie Jones says he is testing himself by hiring the former New Zealand coach John Mitchell until the end of next year’s World Cup.

Just as England’s man in charge believes there is no substitute for experience when it comes to playing in a World Cup, so he thinks successful sides are built on a wealth of coaching knowhow. He was part of South Africa’s management team when they won the World Cup in 2007, four years after his Australia side had been beaten by England in the final, and in 2011 New Zealand had three coaches who had been in charge of Test teams.

“The spotlight is on you all the time during a World Cup,” Jones said. “I have always wanted to have someone like Mitch with us, having worked in that position in 2007. It allows you to sometimes step out and look at things from afar and on other occasions be in there driving it.

“It has worked for New Zealand in the last two World Cups and it may be that I do a bit less coaching. We have not worked it out yet, but it will evolve. I have known John for 20 years and first coached against him when he was with Waikato in 2000 and he has improved every one of his teams enormously. He will get players to think in different ways.”

Jones’s Australia in effect ended Mitchell’s stint as New Zealand coach by defeating the All Blacks in the 2003 World Cup semi-final in Sydney. The two sparred verbally before the match, with Mitchell at one point sighing: “I do not know where Eddie is coming from.” That will not be the case in the coming days as Mitchell arrives from South Africa to begin his new job.

A three-day training camp in Bristol this coming week will be followed after next month’s first round of European Champions Cup matches by the naming of the squad for the four November internationals, starting with South Africa, the conquerors of New Zealand last weekend.

“I do not think South Africa have been great at all since we toured there in the summer, but they put in one hell of a performance against New Zealand,” said Jones. “That’s the way they are at the moment, inconsistent.

“I am excited by every player in our squad because they are 20% fitter than last year, keen and ready to go. Last season, our Lions players were chasing their tails but now they are physically and mentally regenerated.”

Eddie Jones wrote: “I do not think South Africa have been great at all since we toured there in the summer, but they put in one hell of a performance against New Zealand,” said Jones. “That’s the way they are at the moment, inconsistent.

Chilli wrote:

Jensrsa wrote:That's it? From that you deduce that Ackers credits JM for his success as a coach at the Lions and Gloucester?

Added Glaws because if you credit him with the Lions success you might as well add Glaws' potential success too

I know that JM has a long CV but I am not aware that he coached Gloucester. Perhaps Ackerman WhatsApp calls him from training for advice?

Even you must agree that there are some nice quotes from Ackerman about JM.

Sandstorm wrote:

Chilli wrote:

Jensrsa wrote:That's it? From that you deduce that Ackers credits JM for his success as a coach at the Lions and Gloucester?

Added Glaws because if you credit him with the Lions success you might as well add Glaws' potential success too

I know that JM has a long CV but I am not aware that he coached Gloucester. Perhaps Ackerman WhatsApp calls him from training for advice?

Even you must agree that there are some nice quotes from Ackerman about JM.

Ackers would be a complete arsehole if he slagged off JM and his record.

We all know Ackers is not.

Former England player-turned-columnist Stuart Barnes is not impressed with his old team’s new defensive coach.

COLUMN: Why the unhealthy obsession with John Mitchell?

According to the Stuff website, in a scathing column on the appointment of former All Blacks coach John Mitchell, Barnes – clearly no fan of the well-travelled Kiwi coach – has voiced his displeasure at England coach Eddie Jones‘ choice.

“Apart from air miles and experience, it’s hard to see what he brings,” Barnes wrote of Mitchell in his column in the Sunday Times.

Mitchell joined England as a defence coach last week following the Rugby Football Union reportedly agreeing to a £200 000 (R3.74 million) compensation package to his former employers, the Blue Bulls.

“John Mitchell has experience. I’ll give him that. However, there is not much else in his CV to recommend him,”Barnes wrote.

In a statement announcing his appointment, Mitchell said: “I will use all my experience and focus to bring the necessary clarity and confidence to the players from a defensive perspective.”

In the same statement, Jones said: “Defence is a key pillar of our game and John is an experienced coach.”

But experience is not enough to impress Barnes, a former England flyhalf, who went on to outline his reasons for being so critical of Mitchell’s appointment.

“There is the small matter of his never having been a defence coach. But we can override that because, as a head coach, he’ll surely have a decent understanding of all the game’s aspects,” Barnes wrote.

He went on to point out the Mitchell coached Bulls were the second worst team for conceding tries in the recently completed Super Rugby season.

Only the Sunwolves – who finished last – conceded more tries.

The Bulls conceded 509 points in the 2018 Super Rugby season with the Sunwolves letting in 664.

Barnes said it was embarrassing that the Bulls leaked an average of 31 points per game.

Mitchell’s current stint is not his first foray with England.

He was an assistant to Clive Woodward when operating as a forwards coach from 1996-2000.

“He has travelled far since then without ever establishing himself as one of the era’s great coaches,” Barnes wrote.

“His moment to reach for the stars was, without argument, in 2003. The All Blacks, coached by Mitchell, faced Australia, coached by none other than Eddie Jones, in a World Cup semi-final in Sydney.

“Australia beat New Zealand 22-10.”

Barnes, who was critical of Mitchell’s Super Rugby coaching record, said the Jones-coached Wallabies completely out-thought the All Blacks in the 2003 World Cup semi-final.

Mitchell will not relocate to England full-time and Barnes is already drawing comparisons with Mitchell’s early exit from coaching the United States when he commuted from his base in KwaZulu-Natal.

Mitchell’s early exit came less than halfway through his four-year contract when he was head-hunted by the Bulls.

“Jones must be mightily impressed to allow a defence coach to live in a different continent. Usually, he wants his regular coaches living in his pocket. It is an astounding concession to make,” Barnes wrote.

He also questions whether Mitchell will see enough of the England players given he is not basing himself in England during the club season.

“I would go as far as to say that he will not be able to provide the 100 percent focus Jones demands of every other coach with whom he has worked. Jones demands sacrifices from his staff. Not everybody is willing to make them and suddenly here is John Mitchell, remaining based in South Africa for family reasons. One year out from the World Cup.

“Apart from the politics of doing the rounds, Jones clocks up thousands of miles watching live rugby with his own eyes for professional reasons.

“Players are ineligible if they play in France. Coaches are free to take up vital positions and remain based in South Africa.

“Mitchell is not an inveterate winner. He is not prepared to live in England. He endured a miserable season as far as the Blue Bulls defence was concerned. And he is not a defensive specialist,” Barnes wrote.

JB1981 wrote:

Eddie Jones wrote:I am excited by every player in our squad because they are 20% fitter than last year, keen and ready to go. Last season, our Lions players were chasing their tails but now they are physically and mentally regenerated.

Gospel wrote:

Eddie Jones wrote:I am excited by every player in our squad because they are 20% fitter than last year, keen and ready to go. Last season, our Lions players were chasing their tails but now they are physically and mentally regenerated.

We really saw that in the game against Ireland.

CrazyIslander wrote:Unless he stops being John Mitchell this won't end well.

sockwithaticket wrote:I still don't see it lasting long term, but we only need it to hold together for another 9 and a bit months,

sockwithaticket wrote:I still don't see it lasting long term, but we only need it to hold together for another 9 and a bit months,

Chuckles1188 wrote:Can't go with quick turnaround merchants indefinitely, but as long as it sustains through to the World Cup I don't care all that much