ENGLAND SIGN MITCHELL

JOHN MITCHELL, the former All Blacks coach, will finally become England’s defence coach after the RFU agreed a deal close to £500,000 to sign him for their World Cup challenge. The 54-year-old is expected to link up with Eddie Jones’s squad at this weekend’s Bristol training camp and is now contracted until the end of the tournament in Japan next year.

Sportsmail reported last month that Mitchell’s arrival was imminent once the RFU and the Blue Bulls, the Pretoria-based Super Rugby side, had sorted compensation. It is understood the RFU had to shell out £200,000 to prise Mitchell from his head coach role in South Africa and England will pay him £300,000. Mitchell said: ‘I will use all my experience and focus to bring the necessary clarity and confidence to the players from a defensive perspective.’ England head coach Jones said: ‘He will bring a wealth of experience and add to the coaching mix we have here.’ This will be Mitchell’s 17th job in 24 years as a coach. It is the second time he has worked with England. In 1997 he was appointed forwards coach by Sir Clive Woodward but returned home in 2000. He has also worked with Wasps and Sale Sharks. Mitchell coached the All Blacks for two years but was sacked after losing to Jones’s Australia in the 2003 World Cup semi-final. England also announced that Australian Scott Wisemantel will continue as attack coach.