DEFENCE GURU MITCHELL IS TEMPTED BY ENGLAND STAY

DEFENCE coach John Mitchell has opened the possibility of extending his contract with England beyond the World Cup. The Kiwi was heralded as the brains behind England’s defensive dominance in Saturday’s 32-20 win in Dublin. The RFU are drawing up a shortlist of candidates to succeed Eddie Jones and Mitchell, 54, previously sent in his c.v. for the head coach role in 2015. Asked if he would like to stay on at Twickenham, the former All Blacks coach said: ‘What you are saying is a nice thing to think about and clearly I have to think about my family. ‘At this moment I am just really enjoying playing a part and making sure I am doing my job. That is my most critical focus. There is an ultimate goal at the end of the year. I am sure that if I do my job all those other things will take care of themselves.’ Mitchell’s focus has now turned to Sunday’s Test against France at Twickenham. The secret to England’s defensive cohesion, Mitchell claimed, is a concerted effort to build relationships between the players. ‘It makes you more accountable because you don’t want to let your mates down,’ he said. ‘The camp in Portugal is a place that creates patience and resilience because it’s not five-star. It is a good environment to make connections.’ Wing Joe Cokanasiga has been retained in the 25-man squad along with props Dan Cole and Ben Moon.