Sale Look to Bring in New Forwards Coach- John Mitchell

Sale have nearly closed a deal which will bring ex played John Mitchell back from the Golden Lions in SA to the Manchester team.

Link Here

I don't really know too much about him myself but perhaps some of the Kiwi or older posters here can tell if he is any good or not? Anything has to be better then nothing for Sale at the moment.

He was the bloke that butchered NZ's RWC 2003 campaign by playing Muliaina at 13 and playing Carlos instead of Carter.

I bet Sale can not wait then, expect Gray at prop and Cipriani in at no8...

He was, perhaps, the best forwards coach England have ever had. I reckon he will sort out that Sale pack - and they have too many good players there to be as powderpuff as they have been.

He's a bit like Andy Robinson - seems to be pretty clueless about back play but is undeniably a solid forwards coach.

This can be nothing but a good thing for the Sharks. They have stop the rot somehow.

They have started to improve at Sale already. Will this signing provide the instant impetus the Sale side need or will the change of tactics cause disruption to a side starting to settle? Time will tell.

Probably an excellent Forwards Coach but keep him away from the top job.

Looks and sounds like an absolute nutter ! Wherever he goes he seems to upset the squad by an overly totalitarian and disiplinarian regieme....i have no details though, i would love to know what he actually does to players in training, to have a squad mutiny against him ??

sirtidychris wrote:Looks and sounds like an absolute nutter ! Wherever he goes he seems to upset the squad by an overly totalitarian and disiplinarian regieme....i have no details though, i would love to know what he actually does to players in training, to have a squad mutiny against him ??

I gather he did all right with the English pack under SCW. But as a head coach he:
-confused the players (according to Anton Oliver's autobiography) and alienated the media with the ABs in 2002-03
-fell out with the players in Perth
-fell out with the players (and administrators?) in Jo'burg

He did do OK with Waikato in 2004.

Australia are known for "player power" and you never really know what goes on in South Africa.

I think he would be a good choice for them to harden up the forwards.

However i'm not sure how two head coach characters like Redpath and Mitchell would be able to co-exist, at a club of all places.