Mitchell tops Bulls wish list
PRICE TAG: WILL THE BULLS COUGH UP AND PAY FOR KIWI?
Van Graan also in the running to replace Marais.
Hard taskmaster John Mitchell has been approached to take over the coaching duties at the Bulls. Whether a franchise that has had shallow pockets in recent times is willing to come up with the big bucks required to buy the former All Black and Lions coach out of his contract with the USA team, is doubtful.
Mitchell would, however, certainly give some direction to a young side at Loftus Versfeld, having built up a reputation as a coach who lays down the law and enforces it strictly.
“Historically the Bulls have always been a great brand and they just need to turn all that gold into beautiful jewellery. When they get it right, they are the heart and soul of South African rugby, and when their tails are up they are the scariest team to play against. The feedback from the USA team is that they love John’s coaching,” a source close to Mitchell, who still lives in South Africa, told The Citizen.
The Bulls are expected to issue the statement confirming the change in their Super Rugby coaching team today, but the embattled Nollis Marais will still be taking the reins for the weekend match against the Hurricanes, the defending champions.
The match is the last before the June international break and, if the Bulls are going to make a change in coaching before the end of the Super Rugby competition, then it is likely that a new man would only take charge after the hiatus.
“We have nothing to say at the moment, but we will issue something tomorrow [today]. We would like to clarify the situation as soon as possible because the fans need to see that we are doing something,” a Bulls official said yesterday.
Former Bulls coach Rudy Joubert said, however, that merely changing the coach at Loftus Versfeld would not solve their problems.
“It’s a tough one for Nollis but it’s been coming for a while. Unfortunately it’s not going to fix the problem just by changing the coach. They have to change their whole approach to their system and how they coach players from under 19 level right through to Super Rugby.
“It’s a South African problem in general, but the Bulls are just the best example of it. They have quality players but they’re not playing decent rugby. They need a new approach and direction. It’s about a new way of thinking,” said Joubert, who is currently coaching the Valke and was the technical adviser to the 1995 World Cup-winning Springbok side.
Marais revealed after the 5114 drubbing in the local derby against the Lions at the weekend that he knew the union was talking to other coaches and that the board had met with him last week to fully appraise him of the situation going forward.
Johan van Graan, son of Bulls CEO Barend van Graan, is another favourite to take over from Marais, even though he is about to go into the Springbok camp as one of the assistants to national coach Allister Coetzee.