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Bulls clarify John Mitchell's status as England rumours spread like wildfire

By Online Editors

02 Aug 2018

John Mitchell /Getty

Seems like the Bulls’ dismal Super Rugby season has not dented head coach John Mitchell’s reputation – report Rugby365.

In Mitchell’s first season as Bulls coach, the Pretoria franchise concluded the season bottom of the South African Conference and 12th on the overall.

The Bulls only managed to record six wins from their 16 matches and many pundits have regarded 2018 as one of the worst seasons they have ever experienced – placing huge uncertainties around Micthell’s future at the Bulls.

To make things worst, Mitchell requested ZAR90-million from the Bulls board of directors in order to lure experience players to Pretoria ahead of the 2019 season.

Continue reading below…

There has also been reported that coach is seeking a full-time defence coach for next year’s Super Rugby season.

Micthell’s demands have created a huge wedge between the New Zealander and the South African franchise’s board-members.

And it seems like 2019 could be the year that Mitchell and the Bulls part ways.

According to South African media reports, Mitchell has been linked to clubs in the United Kingdom and has been informally offered to take up the role as England defence coach ahead of the Rugby World Cup.

Despite backing the coach for the last few weeks, the latest news of the coach’s departure has forced the Bulls to publicly respond via twitter.

According to the tweet, the Bulls confirmed that Mitchell did receive alternative offers and have also revealed that the coach’s contract will come to an end in October 2019.

The BBCo would like to confirm that John Mitchell informed us that interest was shown in his services, no formal offer has however been received. The BBCo would furthermore like to confirm that John Mitchell’s contract with the BB Co expires on the 31 October 2019. pic.twitter.com/Agma8BySQN
— Official Blue Bulls (@BlueBullsRugby) August 2, 2018

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Comments on RugbyPass

RedWarrior 12 minutes ago

Andy Farrell faces up to concerning Irish 'trends' ahead of Fiji

There is nothing particularly significant about Ireland in this regard compared to other Tier 1 nations. To look at 'strategy' for illegal play its best to see what teams push boundaries with new laws. SA have milked two tries at ruck block downs. The strategy is to charge the first few before the ball is out at about 4 seconds but pull out and put up hands in reigned apology. The referees usually allow the scum half to clear without awarding a penalty in this scenario. The problem with that being that the scrumhalf is now taking over 5 seconds through no fault of his own. Having achieved a few slow balls > 5s , the SA forward can now pick a scrum to charge dead on 5s. Now if the scrum half waits, he will concede a penalty, as we saw against Scotland. With the new rule in place, any early charge should result in an immediate penalty.

SA also got an offside block against England which was pivotal again after a couple of 'apologetic' offside aborted charges forcing England to clear slowly.

2 Go to comments

RedWarrior 29 minutes ago

Ex-All Black accuses Ireland's Jack Crowley of 'disgusting' act in Argentina win

Yep, you're not the sharpest tool in the shed are you?

45 Go to comments

Mark 40 minutes ago

Fin Baxter wades into debate over the England losing streak

Totally agree, and with the Greenwood comment you have hit the nail on the head, England have never managed to replace Greenwood.

And although it's a simple analogy if you look at today's England side, how many of them would make a combined world xv?.

As you allude to, they are I'm afraid mediocre.

3 Go to comments

Lisa Decker 43 minutes ago

Ex-All Black accuses Ireland's Jack Crowley of 'disgusting' act in Argentina win

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45 Go to comments

Werner 45 minutes ago

Let's be real about these All Blacks

I dare say it's an "everyone against the ABs" scrapbook. Only time I've seen him give half a compliment is when he talks about other teams beating the Springboks. Even in this article he puts the Argentina win in NZ down to the ABs being bad rather than the Argentines playing well, which they have been doing all year round.

49 Go to comments

AA 56 minutes ago

Fin Baxter wades into debate over the England losing streak

Agreed. Borthwick will have to write a new excuse book soon .

I have looked at the two world cup final teams from 2003 and 2020.

2003 team scored 187 tries between them in 389 caps

2020 team scored 113 tries between them in 473 caps. As you can see a huge disparity in scoring rate. Only Johnny May with 36 tries in 78 caps scored a higher amount of tries. Elliot Daly comes close but the rest are frankly very poor.

Farrell and Ford scored a pathetic 20 tries between them in a combined 210 caps.

There again , the 2003 team did have Wilko and Greenwood etc whereas 2020 team had Ford and Farrell .

So much people saying that Fords strength is of bringing others into the game .

Really. The figures totally disprove that notion .

It has been mentioned elsewhere that we have accepted mediocrity far too often and the figures would indicate that players are or have been picked far too often without performing .

3 Go to comments

Alex 1 hour ago

Let's be real about these All Blacks

Not disputing that NZ are ahead of Eng. Also not saying Eng are unlucky (though clearly the tone of the article is not that the ABs were unlucky but that they 'should have' won). Your team are looking great and are on the up. I just felt that Pundits have argued Eng 'should have' won the first test against the ABs, when it's more nuanced than that, and very fine margins determine results that Eng didn't get right. Same applies, therefore, to NZ and other nations. Ben Smith though doesn't seem to see it that way. To be clear: I'm not saying I agree with the 'should haves', but more that I take issue with the phrasing.

Good to see your respect for other nations is so strong! Proper rugby fan you are!!!

49 Go to comments

RedWarrior 1 hour ago

Did Rassie Erasmus miss a trick with his latest South Africa squad?

GB is England, Scotland, Wales. They are the 3 constituent countries in Great Britain. Ergo playing only those three countries is a tour of GB. The difference between GB and the UK is Northern Ireland. It's not a huge deal to be accurate and call places by their correct name. But please refrain from your idiotic attempts to BS that GB=UK. It doesn't.

52 Go to comments

RedWarrior 1 hour ago

'Passionate reunion of France and New Zealand shows Fabien Galthie is wrong to rest his stars'