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EXCLUSIVE: Ex-All Black coach believes England's 'brutal' SA tour is fatally flawed
By Chris Jones
Former All Black coach John Mitchell believes England’s bid for a test series triumph in South Africa is fatally flawed because two tests are at altitude, starting at Ellis Park in Johannesburg on Saturday.
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The second test then takes place in Bloemfontein with the final match at sea level in Cape Town. Mitchell is now coaching the Pretoria based Bulls Super Rugby franchise and is acutely aware of the issues surrounding rugby at altitude in South Africa.
Head coach Eddie Jones is trying to negate the problem by flying his England players to Johannesburg (5,750 feet ), Bloemfontein (4,600 feet )and Cape Town a day ahead of each test and then return to their Durban coastal base. England have not won a Test in South Africa since the two teams clashed in the Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein in 2000.
Mitchell expects a “brutal” test series between two teams desperate for success with the Boks losing to Wales last weekend in the first game under new coach Rassie Erasmus and England having lost three successive Six Nations matches plus a defeat to the Barbarians. Mitchell, the former All Blacks, USA and England coach, said: “I think the Springboks have the ability to win the series and I say that because two of the tests are at altitude. If all three were at sea level the I would have a different view because there is an altitude factor here.
“The altitude will have an effect on the England players and there is game fatigue. However, England’s training will be helped by being at sea level rather than having to have shorter sessions in Johannesburg and Bloemfontein. It will be a brutal series and it will be about seeing who is prepared to stay in the fight.
“The Boks will create better structure and decision making having had that game against Wales, but they won’t stray away from pressure rugby. The way the game is being played suits he Boks and they will get better as this series progresses.
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“This is going to be a good series between two very good coaches and while England have the experience and it will come down to who is the more confident and tactically astute. The breakdown could be a problem again for England and it depends on what defensive system the Boks employ and how many they put into the breakdown. That was a crack that appeared in the England team in the Six Nations and there will be some strategy around that in this series.
“Eddie is a fantastic example of a coach and he has gone away and learnt after being dealt blows and come back with better models.
“He took Australia to the World Cup final in 2003 and was helping South Africa when they won it four years later and has now regenerated England. He will continue to strive to see where he can get marginal gains heading into next year’s World Cup in Japan.”
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Scrumhalf Ben Youngs, one of four members of the England squad who lost to the Springboks at Ellis Park in 2012 is aware of the debilitating conditions on the High Veld and said; “The altitude is what you want to make of it and if you get it in your head that it’ll make a massive difference then your body will react to what your head is telling you.
“You have so many sports scientists that they do everything to make sure it has a smaller effect than it used to.”
Erasmus us under fire following the loss to Wales in Washington but is hoping England are also feeling they on trial. He is surprised that England are staying in Durban and said: “I am surprised that when they (England) could have had the benefit of staying here (Johannesburg) for a week, they have stayed in Durban.”
“It’s going to be interesting. Maybe they’ve got other plans of how to tackle the altitude, but normally it catches up with you when you don’t stay at altitude. England have lost four in a row, so they are under pressure, too.
“The heat is on us, as it is on them. This series will see two countries that are desperate come up against each other. The first Test at Ellis Park will be a massive game.”
