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.
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“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.
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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.”