Mitchell – ‘Mentality is the key’

New Bulls coach John Mitchell believes there is a mind shift that needs to happen if the Bulls are to reach the pinnacle of Super Rugby again.

Mitchell was confirmed as the Bulls’ new head coach on Thursday but will only assume the role in July meaning current coach Nollis Marais will see out the rest of the Super Rugby season.

Mitchell brings with him a decorated CV and a strong pedigree, having coached the All Blacks, Sale Sharks and Super Rugby sides the Chiefs, Western Force and Lions. He has also had stints as the forwards coach for the Irish and English international teams.

Mitchell says he will be seeking the advice of Marais as he feels he still needs to get to know the set-up at a deeper level.

However, he is confident he is the right man for the job and has spoken specifically about changing the processes as well as concentrating on building up the confidence in the side but most importantly changing the mentality.

“The Bulls, when they are at their best, they are extremely aggressive and when they play at tempo, they have also put sides away in the past,” Mitchell told ESPN.

“We are not far away from that ingredient, but what we’ve got to do is make sure that people are open to intervention and changing their mindset.

“I feel I can bring a positive element of change, but one has to be careful as well, as ultimately at the end of the day, I’ve got a lot to learn. For me to judge people based on performance and competency would be totally unfair.

“I will do a lot of listening and watching when I get involved in working with Nollis, and look to move the programme forward.

“I think life for me is about what you can control, and what I can control is our processes. I think it is exciting times for us and we can do things slightly different. This is not a big change, this is about refreshing and updating our ways.

“We just have to sharpen up and become confident, rugby is about confidence.

“The team at the moment just lacks a bit of confidence, and there is huge talent there and there has always been talent at the Bulls, and it will remain.

“We have a Currie Cup to embed, we’ve got to get our metres up and we have to go into a pre-season where we can build on top of that.

“I’d like to think that within two competitions, we’ll start to show significant change in our mentality and approach.

“I’ve been in the country for seven years now and I call it home, I love the place. I guess I’ve been away from this level and South African rugby for a period of time now.

“When you get parked up as a coach, it is important to go away and learn. Having been here as a coach with numerous teams, having good days and tough ones as well, where I come from in New Zealand, there are many similarities to here that I like.”