Never go back - Mitchell for England

[Puja]

So John Mitchell has now officially returned as defence coach and will be available for next week's training camp.

Eddie is quoted that a large part of his remit is going to be about turning defence into attack. Personally, I'd prefer he concentrate on us not leaving giant holes for Huw Jones to walk through, but there we are.

Puja

[Shiny]

I have a very very bad feeling about this. Taking a mediocre coach and promoting him way beyond his ceiling.

[Tigersman]

I wouldn't call him mediocre really.

Or say that an assistant coach role is way beyond his ceiling.

My worry is that he isn't a proper defence coach.

[Beasties]

Was he not a forward coach in SCW's reign for a while or have I misremembered?

[Puja]

Was he not a forward coach in SCW's range for a while or have I misremembered?

You have not - he was quite well regarded for his work with us.

Puja

[Beasties]

Oh goody. Would it be a step too far to say our forward play improved a huge amount when he was involved?

[Beasties]

Mind, he also made Reuben Thorne captain of the ABs during his tenure.......

[fivepointer]

He coached our forwards pretty well, but that was a long time ago and he has had something of a "chequered" career since then.
Has he ever coached specifically defence for any side?

[twitchy]

We essentially need some one who can make an immediate impact. Does he fit the bill?

[Oakboy]

Let's face it, appointing anyone at this stage is going to be risky. We should not be looking and the fact thst we are is not an indication of a united camp. Then, we aren't too likely to get a top man because the best are already employed. Fingers crossed for some improvement but it all smacks of dodgy compromise.

[Puja]

We essentially need some one who can make an immediate impact. Does he fit the bill?

He's got a lot of experience and he's coached all around the world. We could do a lot worse.

Puja

[morepork]

Did England ever consider having a crack at Shaun Edwards? Mitchell is an odd character. Will be interesting.

[Puja]

Did England ever consider having a crack at Shaun Edwards? Mitchell is an odd character. Will be interesting.

Wouldn't come before the RWC and Wales'd never have released him. Apparently we had a nibble at Farrell, which is interesting considering the first thing Eddie did in the job was sack him.

I'm hoping Mitchell is to Eddie Jones what 2007 Jones was to Jake White.

Puja

[Digby]

Did England ever consider having a crack at Shaun Edwards? Mitchell is an odd character. Will be interesting.

Wouldn't come before the RWC and Wales'd never have released him. Apparently we had a nibble at Farrell, which is interesting considering the first thing Eddie did in the job was sack him.

I'm hoping Mitchell is to Eddie Jones what 2007 Jones was to Jake White.

Puja

Also is anybody watching England and thinking they drift too much and should get a defence coach who wants to blitz?

England struggle in areas that in many respects fall outside the expertise of Edwards

[morepork]

I agree. I'm just struggling to see how John Mitchell's name jumps out in any one's mind for this role.

[Mellsblue]

He coached our forwards pretty well, but that was a long time ago and he has had something of a "chequered" career since then.
Has he ever coached specifically defence for any side?

He was in charge of defence at the SA franchise we just paid handsomely to take him from. Let’s just say they were more an Easter coached Harlequins than a Saracens Wolfpack.

[morepork]

Second most porous defence in the comp this year in fact.

[Scrumhead]

Just a bizarre appointment ...

Eddie feels like a desperate man clutching at straws...

[Timbo]

Seems like Eddie has decided to stop appointing coaches he doesn’t already have a relationship with. Eddie obviously has very exacting standards and specific ideas on team culture and how he likes coaches to work, so it makes perfect sense to get in people who can work under those conditions.

I’m fairly sanguine about the appointment. I’ve always like Mitchell as a pundit and like what he has to say. He has a mixed record, but there’s enough there to be reasonably optimistic I reckon.

[Oakboy]

Seems like Eddie has decided to stop appointing coaches he doesn’t already have a relationship with. Eddie obviously has very exacting standards and specific ideas on team culture and how he likes coaches to work, so it makes perfect sense to get in people who can work under those conditions.

I’m fairly sanguine about the appointment. I’ve always like Mitchell as a pundit and like what he has to say. He has a mixed record, but there’s enough there to be reasonably optimistic I reckown.

Wow, a positive comment. I really hope you are right.

[fivepointer]

I can see the attraction in bringing in an experienced international coach and who has worked with England before. Would have liked an English coach like Alex Sanderson or Joe Worsley but i imagine experience was key in the appointment with the WC a year away.
My issue is that he hasnt coached defence as a specialism and i do think that may count against him.
Also, i'm not sure the dynamic between him and Eddie will be...... entirely relaxed, shall we say.

[Timbo]

I can see the attraction in bringing in an experienced international coach and who has worked with England before. Would have liked an English coach like Alex Sanderson or Joe Worsley but i imagine experience was key in the appointment with the WC a year away.
My issue is that he hasnt coached defence as a specialism and i do think that may count against him.
Also, i'm not sure the dynamic between him and Eddie will be...... entirely relaxed, shall we say.

I don’t want Eddie bringing in anyone he doesn’t know well/hasn’t worked with before. He’s known Mitchell for about 20 years, so they both know exactly what they’re getting into. Same with Weismantel and Borthwick.

In retrospect I wish Eddie had just got in coaches he already knew from the start, rather than trying to build relationships with Gustatd, Teague etc.

[Mikey Brown]

Gustard seemed like a good call at the time, no? Any chance that a lot of the issues come from Jones, as we were warned of by many, being an absolute twat?

[Digby]

Eddie was told to develop English coaches

[Oakboy]

Eddie was told to develop English coaches

For his next trick . . .