‘Mental strength pulled us through’
29 Oct 2011
John Mitchell says the emotional maturity his players have gained over the last 16 months was instrumental in their Currie Cup-winning run.
It’s been a fairytale story for the Lions and their Kiwi head coach. The famous 42-16 win over the Sharks in the final is a result that will be celebrated and remembered for a long time. But you have to look back to the start of Mitchell’s tenure to truly grasp this achievement.
Heading into the last year’s Currie Cup season, the Dick Muir-coached Lions had endured the worst Super Rugby campaign in the history of the competition as they lost all 13 games. It was the darkest stage of a 12-year period of disappointment. Their 2010 domestic season didn’t start off well either as they suffered a four-match losing streak. But there was an improvement in performance later in Mitchell’s debut campaign with the Johannesburg union, which included a five-match winning streak. The Lions didn’t qualify for the semi-finals but they were commended for a respectable finish.
There were more mixed results in this year’s Super Rugby season, but a triumphant run in the Currie Cup indicated that the structures set 16 months ago was finally came into effect. Mitchell credited the players’ for their growth as a team.
‘Just look back to those moments when we were given that yellow card and when the Sharks scored their try,’ Mitchell told keo.co.za. ‘When we were down to 14 men, we remained calm and the guys didn’t drop in their performance. The try shouldn’t have been awarded as it was a knock-on. A former Lions side would’ve folded at that stage, but this team didn’t. My team handled those incidents very well as we adapted to the situation.’
Being a foreigner, Mitchell was then asked if he knew how much this Currie Cup title meant to the people of Johannesburg.
He replied: ‘Probably not. But I know these past few weeks have been phenomenal for the city. The fact that we played in a packed Ellis Park shows how well the guys are playing, and the support has been massive.
‘When the news first broke that I was going to coach the Lions, all my friends asked me “what the hell are you thinking?’’. But I love a challenge and my dream was to restore the pride that was once here at Ellis Park.
‘I know it’s been a frustrating number of years for all Lions fans, who probably had to turn the telly upside down to see their team on top of the log. The results weren’t going the team’s way and that hurts because supporters have an emotional connection to their team. I’m very happy with what has been achieved over the last 16 months.’
So where to for the Lions from here? What will be needed for a stronger showing in Super Rugby?
‘We will want to perform better in Super Rugby, but there’s still a long process ahead for us,’ said Mitchell. ‘I think we can still improve our performance a notch. We are physically better than before and we won’t change our game plan next season, but we can be more accurate in our execution. There is also quality depth and we will have increase it heading into a hectic season next year. There are also other areas we can work on as we head into Super Rugby, but that we’ll focus on that at a later stage. We need to savour this moment and enjoy our break after a long season.’
By Gareth Duncan, in Johannesburg
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12 Comments
30 Oct 2011, 08:00 am
Mitchell for Bok coach
The rest dont come close
30 Oct 2011, 08:20 am
We must not fall in the same trap as England and employ someone like Martin Johnson because no one else wants the job
30 Oct 2011, 09:34 am
Mitchell
Mallet
huge huge gap
H Meyer/ b venter
No one else Bok,,,,,,
30 Oct 2011, 12:38 pm
@grant10(grant10)-3: I too fully support Mitchell. I don’t think Meyer is that far behind. Its time for a foreign coach.
I also do not understand Keo’s current twitter comment.
Keo the Lions just thrashed a bok laden Sharks team. The same team that played in the S15. Give credit where credit is due. 2 years ago the Lions were a joke. Mitchell has put a process in place and that takes time to bring to fruition. Mark my words they will challenge for S15 honours within the next 2 years.
31 Oct 2011, 12:57 pm
You may recall that this very John Mitchell coached an All Blacks XV to a +50point win over the Boks at Loftus (Corne Krige in charge, who else?) and then was sacked for losing a crucial match shortly after – having taken the AB’s to new levels of performance WHICH WE HAVE NOT SEEN SINCE!
He is one of the top coaches in the world – would that he (or Eddie Jones) would take over the Boks (and pigs will fly).
31 Oct 2011, 13:01 pm
@XV(XV)-4: Anyone who is hospitalised by violent crime in SA and still chooses to stay and shows loyalty above life and limb is no “foreigner” in my book.
Mitchell may as well be an honourable Saffa.
Please God, let him be Bok coach soon.
31 Oct 2011, 14:22 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-6:
Amen – he’s an unsung genius – bu the way thanks for bringing to our attention that expose of the ‘shameful’ ref cheating by Joubert and his proxy master O’Brien in the WC final – which France should and would have won, had they not been cheated – jeepers, FOUR penalties in the one ruck by AB’s with 10 minutes to go and kickable – ignored by Joubert. It’s been going on for years – normally it’s the Boks who pay the price – this time it was les Bleus.
If I was a billionaire I would orchestrate a civil suit against Joubert with the intention of booting O’Brien and the corrrupt IRB into touch once and for all – they are indisputable cheats and it’s in the video you posted. I’ve been meaning to say thank you – good job.
31 Oct 2011, 14:37 pm
@J.B. Cowper(J.B. Cowper)-7: Cheers mate, but I reckon thanks all be to Setanta… A pity they couldn’t have done a similar analysis on the Oz vs Boks game.
31 Oct 2011, 15:18 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-8:
South African commentators/administration don’t have the balls to go there – this should be investigated and exposed by the likes of Carte Blanche – and mark my words, it will continue as long as Paddy is in charge ….
31 Oct 2011, 15:39 pm
@J.B. Cowper(J.B. Cowper)-9: I read an interesting article about the AB’s being champions of “League-Union” – a hybrid game enabled by reffing interpretation of the laws.
Quite enlightening. Will be interesting to see if there still is a drive from AusNZ to change interpretations of laws after this RWC.
31 Oct 2011, 16:39 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-10:
I’ve got such a sick feeling in my stomach about that game and the one side who has to play by the rules and the other who can play against the rules – this is what I’ve wrote to friends:
I can’t take this lying down – there is a huge difference between “poor reffing” and cheating; which is what this was. That Aussie is not some arbitrary lurker – he’s an international forwards coach (for Scotland) who knows what he is talking about – apart from the numerous bad calls (always in Kiwi favour) and the non-calls (always in Kiwi favour) – it was in the last 10 minutes, in a kickable position, that Joubert ignored FOUR NZ penalty infringements – in the ruck!!! ***** China – FOUR in one ruck – that is not on – the All Blacks had huge home crowd advantage and also the ref in their pocket – just so, God forbid, they did not lose their precious title, upon which their entire national identity rests.
This has been going on for several years now – but most recently – last year in fact the Aussies reporters filmed in slow motion a Boks v. All Blacks match, away, and you could see that Richie wasn’t just coming in from the side he was COMING THROUGH THE BOKS’ GATE in the rucks and mauls – not to mention lots of playing the ball off his feet – all in front of Allan Rolland who warned him four times to stop doing it, having yellow-carded the Boks twice at the drop of a hat. The reason the Aussie commentator was looking at this, in his words: “I know John Smit whinges, but Victor never does – and when he says: “There’s two sets of rules, one for the Blacks, one for us” – I thought I would look into it and this is what I found”. Wish still had it … scary, unambiguous cheating ….
Paddy O’Brien is the Kiwi who runs the referees panel – I rest my case; it is diabolical – and don’t even get me going on the way they stitched up Bakkies for clearing rucks (when the Lions coach publicly affirmed that what he was doing was NOT remotely illegal). And Brad Thorne spear tackles John Smit into the ground and a 4-month injury and doesn’t even get whistled … and, when cited, gets a one-week ban ….
I’ve had it – Richie McCaw, playing on his knees in the video I sent you, without fear at all of getting blown is part of it, I’m sorry: he knows exactly what he’s doing and to say that he is playing the ref is rubbish; he knows he’s safe. I’ve lost my respect for that team and that whole country if this is the level they stoop to to win – AND the Boks would have given them a stonking, but they didn’t go through, because Bryce Lawrence (Kiwi ref – what else) didn’t call Pocock on numerous penalties or the high tackles of the Wallabies – even the Australian papers were headlining: HOW DID WE WIN THIS ONE? (with picture of Bok three-quarter in necklock tackle – unblown, of course) – it’s gone on too long and is nothing less than institutionalized cheating – Joubert is not a ‘poor ref’ – he knows the game inside out and he didn’t call it. France played badly uptil the final – so what, it’s irrelevant, they’re France, terrible sometimes – but the Final, when it counted, they came to play big time and, at Eden Park, the stronghold of the All Blacks, were the better team in every aspect on the day and they were robbed blind. It’s not just to me – it’s all the 5-Nations and SA critics, who have spotted it. Disgusting. To crown it all – final insult – the IRB fined France $5,000 for advancing on the Haka. I am really angry about it all – O’Brien needs to get exposed and booted into touch.
31 Oct 2011, 20:59 pm
@J.B. Cowper(J.B. Cowper)-11: Have gone through that whole gamut and I am sure a good number of people from many different nationalities have done the same…
I don’t begrudge the AB’s winning the WC – heck its been a long time since their last one and it obviously has brought great joy – but this WC has come at a price for rugby, which we may only really appreciate in months to come.
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