coach of the year in RSA

[theforceguy]

John Mitchell was awarded the South African coach of the year award over the weekend

The Lions' Currie Cup triumph earned the Team of the Year title plus awards for skipper and flank Joshua Strauss (Currie Cup Player of the Year) and New Zealand-born coach John Mitchell (Coach of the Year).
Lambie was named Young Player of the Year and Central Cheetahs scrum-half Sarel Pretorius, who will line-up for Australian side New South Wales Waratahs next season, topped the Super 15 Player of the Year poll.
South African award winners
Player of the Year: Schalk Burger (Western Stormers)
Players' Player of the Year: Bismarck du Plessis (Coastal Sharks)
Super 15 Player of the Year: Sarel Pretorius (Central Cheetahs)
Currie Cup Player of the Year: Joshua Strauss (Golden Lions)
Young Player of the Year: Patrick Lambie (Sharks)
Coach of the Year: John Mitchell (Lions)
Team of the Year: Lions

[hertryk]

OH! What could have been if Mitch was just left to do the job he was paid to do..!!

[DinkyDi]

So true - good coach just surrounded by precious princesses. Such a pity

[mudskipper]

jeez thats a big call John Mitchell coach of the year as he is only a currie cup coach, I think a few super coaches would be more worthy...

SA politics is way too complicated, they rather give it to an outsider than to a guy a South African who could be voted in to be the next Springboks coach... which process is just beginning...

Harsh really...

[Sheikh]

How do you know Mitch isn't being lined up as the next Springbok coach? An ex-All Black coach, they could do a lot worse.

[I don't really expect them to appoint a non-Saffer, though!]

[mudskipper]

How do you know Mitch isn't being lined up as the next Springbok coach? An ex-All Black coach, they could do a lot worse.

[I don't really expect them to appoint a non-Saffer, though!]

I can't tell you...

[jargan83]

John Mitchell > Andy Friend
Posted via Mobile Device

[James]

John Mitchell > Andy Friend
Posted via Mobile Device

I'd put my money on John Mitchell > Jake White too. I mean what did Jake White ever actually do? Sure he won a Tri-Nations. But his World Cup victory can hardly be counted. That has got to be the most lacklustre path to World Cup glory in the history of the tournament.

[jargan83]

But his World Cup victory can hardly be counted. That has got to be the most lacklustre path to World Cup glory in the history of the tournament.

South Africa did a Steven Bradbury at 2007 World Cup

[James]

Top notch Jargs. I don't think there is a better way of describing it.

[mudskipper]

South Africa did a Steven Bradbury at 2007 World Cup

Aarrrr but Steve Bradbury had a cunning plan...

[theforceguy]

How do you know Mitch isn't being lined up as the next Springbok coach? An ex-All Black coach, they could do a lot worse.

[I don't really expect them to appoint a non-Saffer, though!]

I suspect that anything is possible especially with comments like this from the SA rugby media and bosses

The search for new Bok coach starts
With two New Zealand-born coaches, John Plumtree and John Mitchell, leading their teams to the Currie Cup final, there has been an increasing groundswell of support for a foreigner to be appointed as the next Springbok coach.


The magnificent performance by John Mitchell in taking a bunch of no-hopers, has-beens, raw, inexperienced newcomers and several players dismissed by their former unions and transforming them into Currie Cup-champions, has underlined the need for South African rugby to embrace a new out-of-the-box playing style.

GOLDEN Lions Rugby Union president Kevin de Klerk said yesterday that although triumphant Currie Cup coach John Mitchell may be the perfect candidate to take over the Springbok coaching job, the union would not willingly allow him to leave should he make the shortlist for the position.

Mitchell said early last month that he would not apply for the position, but there is a view that if he were to be offered the position he would not turn it down.

After Mitchell guided the young Lions team to their first Currie Cup title in 12 years — and their first outright title at Ellis Park since 1950 — only 16 months after joining the union, it was no surprise that he has been tipped in several quarters to be the next Springbok coach.

[todd4]

Tonight I watched my recording of the Currie Cup final and the Lions were impressive. They certainly wont be easy beats next year...

[almac]

John Smit for springbok coach.... At least when he talks he makes sense..!!!

[mudskipper]

John Smit for springbok coach.... At least when he talks he makes sense..!!!

should get Bismark to be coach as he's always on the bench anyway (thanks to PDV)... John Smit can play for another decade...