Test against Englad on local grounds plays to SA's strength

IT has emerged that the South African Rugby Union (Saru) and the Golden Lions Rugby Union (GLRU) put pressure on the Western Province Rugby Football Union (WPRFU) not to appoint John Mitchell as Stormers coach.

WPRFU director of rugby Gert Smal had nominated former All Blacks, Western Force and Golden Lions ’ coach Mitchell ’ s as the only candidate to coach the Stormers.

After weeks of negotiations WPRFU president Thelo Wakefield and his board members backed down on Mitchell after calls from Saru President Oregan Hoskins and GLRU president Kevin de Klerk swayed their thinking.

“The Golden Lions had a tough parting with John Mitchell,” Hoskins said, in reference to Mitchell ’ s acrimonious split with the union in 2012.

“I was still president of Saru and I was intimately involved in the proceedings at his arbitration hearing.

“When WP considered Mitchell for the Stormers coaching job, Kevin de Klerk and I both spoke to Thelo [Wakefield] and said that we strongly feel that they shouldn ’ t consider him, given the experience we had at the Lions.

“If you appoint a coach for four years and run into problems in the first year, you end up having to pay out a lot of money.

“My concern is a financial one and I think it is very sad that WP are coming out of this as the bad guys here.”

Last Saturday Smal had to name long-time assistant Robbie Fleck as interim head coach for the 2016 season.

Smal has been left angry by the turn of events, especially as the board appears to have made their decision based on their perception of Mitchell, rather than a thorough interrogation of his abilities as a coach.

Wakefield told a newspaper this week that Mitchell had “poor people skills ”.

He added: “We have invested a great deal in young players such as Eben Etzebeth, Frans Malherbe, Damian de Allende and Siya Kolisi, to name a few.

“It would be wrong to put them and the team management at risk [of clashing heads with Mitchell],” said Wakefield.

“I believe in Gert ’ s knowledge of the game and in his judgment.

“But there comes a time when a request has to be turned down because of valid reasons. We have to make decisions in the best interest of Western Province Rugby.”

Surely there is a certain conflict of interest as well, given that the Lions are in direct competition with the Stormers in Super Rugby?

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