by A big weekend awaits John Mitchell. On Saturday he will turn 60 and the following day he takes charge of his first women’s Six Nations match as England head coach. Can the Kiwi who has seen it all take them to the next level? The union between the legendary former head coach of the All Blacks and an ambitious group of Red Roses from another generation is an interesting one.
Because when Rugby Union chose not to install a Sarina Wiegman-type figure to deliver the Women’s World Cup on home soil next year, not everyone liked it. Even Mitchell believes the days of men in charge of women’s programs are numbered – “The future will definitely be a female coach” – and the appointment of England’s Jo Yapp to the top job in Australia has reignited the debate.
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On the one hand, hiring Mitchell makes a lot of sense. He was only 37 when he became coach of the All Blacks in 2001 and his CV includes spells with England men under Clive Woodward and Eddie Jones. Few coaches, male or female, have a keener global understanding – “My record of winning Test matches speaks for itself and I know this field like the back of my hand” – of high performance arrangements. So when Mitchell points out that he was “probably more pressure-sensitive” than other candidates he has the scar tissue to prove it. “When you were near the top of the game … there are some gold nuggets that I took from there.”
However, for some, it was like conceiving a male overview at this high-profile point to overlook Taylor Swift and ask Status Quo to headline instead. Mitchell is no Swiftie and when he sang the squad’s inaugural song there were no Dua Lipa dance moves either. “I used Wonderwall with Oasis before but this time it was Molly Malone. You often try to rush back to your seat but, seeing that I was bound, I walked down the middle of the bus and added more emphasis to the chorus…”
There’s a lot more to international coaching than confident karaoke but, equally, there’s a lot more to Mitchell than people think. In his recent book there was a wonderful description of Danny Cipriani – “Tall, bald as a coot and with different colored eyes, like David Bowie” – accompanied by a moving story about Sale’s social team after defeating the London Irish. “By the end of the night I’m trying to roll John into one of the big food boxes you find behind restaurants. Oddly enough, he loves that.”
That was then. These days “Mitch” lives quietly in Surrey with his South African wife Julie, supports Woking FC, prefers to wear his glasses for photographs, loves listening to London Grammar and has he is happy – “That’s my peaceful place” – barbecuing in his backyard. A harrowing incident in 2010, when he was attacked by an intruder in his Johannesburg home, has clearly prompted a reassessment of his priorities in life and he also rants a little as he recalls the macho culture of Waikato rugby in the 1980s, when it is used to share a flat with teammate Warren Gatland. “Maybe in the men’s game – and I fell into the trap in my younger playing days – you have to adopt a certain state of mind as a man. There’s a game coming and you’re serious.”
The whole mental side of the sport fascinates him more. His daughter is a psychologist in Perth, based in Australia, and his son, Daryl, is a blossoming Test cricketer in New Zealand. As a coach, however, it took time to become more empathetic. “My leadership was quite direct. It was the powerful truth. I wasn’t afraid to make hard decisions. When I look back on many of them I think they were the right decisions. But could I have communicated those decisions in a better way? Yes.”
The old competitive fires still smolder, however. And amid the self-deprecating references to his old-school cauliflower ears – “One looks like a kidney, the other a dried apricot” – it’s quickly clear that he feels gender has little bearing on the effectiveness of coaching. “I try to deal with the person. Everyone keeps asking: what are the differences between coaching men and women? I don’t need to know the differences. I just have to deal with what’s in front of me. And then answer it. If it’s the context I’m familiar with, I’m sure I’ll have a strong point of view. If not, I will listen, watch and ask questions.”
Next Mitchell is gathering his own personal insights, along with his assistants Louis Deacon, Lou Meadows and Sarah Hunter, having already spent time with the Red Roses during last year’s WXV tournament. He thinks it will take more time to disappoint some female players but in other areas they leave the men behind. “These women are very dedicated but I like how they can be themselves. These girls are capable of joy and fun. But then, suddenly, they just turn on the switch. As long as we keep that balance I love it.”
In truth, England have nothing to fear in these Six Nations after collecting five consecutive titles but, among other things, Mitchell is keen to introduce a more flexible approach. “In professional sport you have to prepare for the worst. Maybe we didn’t do that in the last World Cup.”
In addition he wants his squad to aim high. “The potential of this side is huge. We were a very good team but we want to be an excellent team. As good as we were in the Six Nations, how do we get on [win a World Cup] what haven’t we done in 11 years? We must successfully climb that peak. And we have yet to fill the top row of green seats at Twickenham. This team has a great identity but is still on the way to being fully immersed in English rugby culture.”
There is, briefly, a hint of the Heston Blumenthals about Mitchell as he prepares to apply a metaphorical blow to the England women’s game and erase memories of his sudden departure from Jones’ England men’s camp in July 2021. “I want a point where I couldn’t give Eddie 24‑7 anymore. Basically, I woke up, aged 57, and I thought: ‘I value things differently, I need to stand up for myself.’ At the end of the day you have to respond to the ways of the head coach and their leadership. If you can’t fit into that, you have to be honest.”
He says his multifaceted coaching journey opened his eyes to “my blind spots”. What could those be? “When your ego gets in the way and you don’t stay open and aware.” OK, so does he think he will be the last male Red Roses head coach? “I don’t understand that. I’m not here to do one term either.” When could a woman take control, then? “At some point the time will be right. It’s only when that is. At the end of the day it’s still about making sure the girls have the right ability to play the game we want and making sure they have the right behaviors. It is still about tactical clarity. Regardless of how people try to create a separation between the two, you still come back to the main ingredients.”
England’s women – regardless of gender – may have found the catalyst to deliver their World Cup dream.
