Lions suspend coach Mitchell

Updated June 23, 2012 19:26:32

Super Rugby strugglers the Lions have suspended New Zealand-born coach John Mitchell after some players complained about his coaching and management style.

Lions president and former Springbok lock Kevin de Klerk refused to elaborate Friday, saying the gripes would be investigated next week and a decision made on the future of the former All Blacks coach.

Mitchell guided the Lions to the domestic Currie Cup title last year against the odds, but they have found the going tough in the southern hemisphere championship and are second last on the table with only two wins from 13 games.

Assistants Carlos Spencer and Johan Ackermann will take over coaching durites in the interim.

Mitchell was the All Blacks coach for two years before World Cup-winning supremo Graham Henry took over in 2004.

AFP

Tags: sport, rugby-union, super-rugby, south-africa

First posted June 23, 2012 12:19:20

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Tahs give Mitchell more match time

Updated May 31, 2012 19:51:33

Drew Mitchell has again been named to start for New South Wales in Saturday night's encounter at Sydney Football Stadium.

Mitchell made his first appearance of 2012 last weekend in the 35-34 loss to the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein, having missed the start of the Super Rugby season because of injury.

Among the changes made to the Waratahs starting XV, Sarel Pretorius replaces Brendan McKibbin at half-back, while Jono Jenkins was named at openside flanker ahead of Chris Alcock.

The Waratahs hold a 4-9 record and sit in third place on the Australian conference standings.

The Hurricanes (7-6) are fourth in the New Zealand conference on 40 points, but remain in the hunt for a wildcard berth for the play-offs in ninth place on the overall ladder.

Waratahs squad:

Bernard Foley, Tom Kingston, Rob Horne, Adam Ashley-Cooper, Drew Mitchell, Berrick Barnes, Sarel Pretorius, Wycliff Palu, Jono Jenkins, Dave Dennis, Kane Douglas, Sitaleki Timani, Sekope Kepu, Tatafu Polota-Nau, Benn Robinson (captain)

Reserves: John Ulugia, Jeremy Tilse, Richard Stanford, Lopeti Timani, Brendan McKibbin, Daniel Halangahu, Tom Carter

Tags: rugby-union, super-rugby, sport, sydney-2000

First posted May 31, 2012 19:51:33

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Mitchell returns for Tahs

Updated May 25, 2012 12:11:00

Drew Mitchell makes his long-awaited return from injury to front for New South Wales in its clash with the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein on Sunday morning (AEST).

Mitchell has not played since a Wallabies' World Cup pool match against Russia last October, having been troubled by hamstring and ankle injuries.

He will make his season debut on the wing as one of four changes to the Waratahs' starting XV that lost 19-13 to the Stormers in Cape Town last weekend.

Tatafu Polota-Nau, Kane Douglas and Wycliff Palu all return, while an injury to Rocky Elsom sees him drop out of the side with Dave Dennis shifting to blindside flanker.

The Waratahs are looking to break a four-match losing streak, which has effectively ended their play-offs chances.

They sit in fourth place on the Australian conference standings with a 4-8 record from their 12 matches.

The Cheetahs hold the same record and are also in fourth position in the South African conference.

Waratahs squad: Bernard Foley, Tom Kingston, Rob Horne, Adam Ashley-Cooper, Drew Mitchell, Berrick Barnes, Brendan McKibbin, Wycliff Palu, Chris Alcock, Dave Dennis, Kane Douglas, Sitaleki Timani, Sekope Kepu, Tatafu Polota-Nau, Benn Robinson (captain)

Reserves: John Ulugia, Jeremy Tilse, Richard Stanford, Lopeti Timani, Sarel Pretorius, Daniel Halangahu, Tom Carter

Tags: rugby-union, super-rugby, sport, sydney-2000, south-africa

First posted May 25, 2012 12:08:36

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Reds need a Super finish: Mitchell

Updated May 20, 2012 18:11:14

Queensland might have valuable momentum and Quade Cooper back, but former All Blacks coach John Mitchell believes the Reds will only defend their Super Rugby title if they can achieve a highly unlikely top-two finish.

The surging Reds have posted two bonus-points victories in succession following Saturday night's 34-20 disposal of Mitchell's last-placed Lions but will need four more in a row to complete a miraculous rise from 11th a fortnight ago to second.

With Cooper pulling the strings following an impressive first-half return at Lang Park, Mitchell did not rule it out but warned the next hurdle would be the toughest - meeting the ultra-fit Brumbies in Canberra.

"The Reds are starting to play good footy again and they're starting to get in motion again," he said.

"Once Quade finds his feet and gets back into the physicality of the game he'll be even more a threat going to the line.

"(But) it will be pretty difficult down there in Canberra."

A loss to the Brumbies, who sit eight points clear, would all but hand the ACT franchise the Australian conference title and a top-three finish, guaranteeing a home final to start the six-team play-offs.

However Mitchell felt a conference triumph would count for little for either Queensland or the Brumbies if New Zealand and South Africa's best sides finish with more points.

The third-placed team hosts the sixth side in a home elimination but victory then sets up an overseas semi-final.

"You won't win this competition unless you are C1 or C2 in this competition; C3 will struggle - you can't go across the Indian (Ocean) twice to win this competition," the ex-Western Force and NZ coach said.

Cooper's confident 40-minute display against the Lions - highlighted by a line break which laid the platform for the game's first try - was a massive boost for Queensland's finals prospects, as well as his chances of playing in next month's Tests against Scotland and Wales.

After seven months out of the game following a knee reconstruction, the Wallabies five-eighth showed few signs of rust and will be primed for the high-stakes Canberra clash.

"Running out in front of a big home crowd was a lot of fun, and it was a big pat on the back for the big road I've come from," Cooper said.

"When you've got a good team, a good morale and a good game plan it's always easy to go out there and do your part and that's all I had to do.

"If I continue to progress and continue to keep stepping up a level each week then I'll definitely be putting my hand up for (Test) selection but in the same regard it's totally out of my control."

AAP

Tags: super-rugby, rugby-union, sport, brisbane-4000, qld, australia

First posted May 20, 2012 18:11:14

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Mitchell set to return against Cheetahs

Updated May 14, 2012 11:50:24

Wallabies winger Drew Mitchell is confident he will resume his Super Rugby career against the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein later this month.

Mitchell aggravated an ankle injury during the World Cup in October and is yet to play for the Waratahs this season.

He flew out with the Waratahs squad on Saturday for their two-match tour of South Africa and is expected to play in the second match against the Cheetahs.

It's been a long road to recovery for Mitchell who was told by doctors that he may not play again.

"I've only played two or three games in the last 13 months but now I'm pretty close to being a rugby player again," Mitchell told ABC Grandstand before flying out with the Waratahs.

"It's been a big step just to be able to train with the boys in a team environment as opposed to being an individual athlete in rehab."

Mitchell said he had been told by several medical specialists that he may not play again but never gave up on returning to the game.

"I had a few different specialists tell me that. It was quite hard at one point because we had so many differing opinions.

"It was almost like a lottery which one we were going to take but fortunately the ankle has responded to treatment and I'm ready to play."

Mitchell said he was put through training sessions that replicated games to test his ability to return to Super Rugby.

He will continue to train hard in the week leading up to the Stormers game in Capetown on Sunday morning (AEST) but is preparing to play against the Cheetahs the following week.

Tags: sport, rugby-union, super-rugby, australia, sydney-2000

First posted May 14, 2012 11:45:15

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Mitchell a chance for Tahs return

Updated May 10, 2012 14:05:40

New South Wales winger Drew Mitchell is a "50-50" chance to make a miraculous recovery from injury, allaying fears he might never play again.

The Waratahs depart for South Africa for matches against the Stormers and Cheetahs on Saturday, and Mitchell only needs to pass one more fitness test on Friday to convince coach Michael Foley he's ready for an earlier-than-expected return from an ankle injury.

Mitchell was expected to miss the entire Super Rugby season and the June Test matches against Scotland and Wales with the ongoing problem but is now on the verge of a comeback after recovering well from the first of two fitness tests.

On Friday, the Waratahs medical team will try out his conditioning and ability to change direction at high speed before giving him the green light to tour and be available for the second match against the Cheetahs on May 26 in Bloemfontein.

"There's a good chance, I would say 50-50," Foley said.

"He ran yesterday and he's pulled up out of that pretty well. We've decided we want to give him one more test which is one step further up and that will be tomorrow.

"He healed a lot better than what was first thought. We had great advice from some of the leading people in Australia and he took a bit of time.

"He did all the right exercises he was given and it's just turned for the better, which is great because there was a chance at one point that he might not play again."

The Waratahs play the Bulls at Sydney Football Stadium on Friday night.

AAP

Tags: rugby-union, super-rugby, sport, sydney-2000

First posted May 10, 2012 14:05:40

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Mitchell eyeing surprise Cup selection

Posted April 26, 2011 15:56:00

Injured Australia winger Drew Mitchell, who dislocated his ankle last Saturday, is targeting a return to the field in time to be considered as a surprise inclusion in Robbie Deans' World Cup squad.

Mitchell suffered the injury when he collided with Scott Higginbotham during the Waratahs' 19-15 loss to the Queensland Reds in their Super rugby match in Brisbane.

Waratahs coach Chris Hickey said after the match, when it was confirmed Mitchell had dislocated his right ankle and broken a bone in his leg, that his winger was not expected to be back this year.

Players with similar injuries have needed at least six months to recover.

The 27-year-old Mitchell, however, said he expected the injury to be healed within three months and the motivating factor during his rehabilitation would be to be included in Deans' World Cup squad.

He had been an almost certainty prior to the injury.

"The indication I got is 12-14 weeks, it is much better news than it could have been," Mitchell was quoted as saying by Tuesday's Sydney Morning Herald.

"If I had been looking at the World Cup as not being an option at all, sometimes the motivation might not have been as high as it could be.

"I'll make sure that whatever day-to-day rehab stuff is required, I will do.

"It will be tedious and boring but, if that tedious and boring work is going to put me in a position to hopefully be looked at for World Cup selection, it will be worth it.

"I was immediately trying to work out how many weeks it would be before I could possibly return. It has put me in a better place than what it could have.

"Also, ever since the last World Cup when we were eliminated in the quarter-finals, from that moment I have done everything I can to get back for the next World Cup."

Australia have been drawn in Pool C with Ireland, Italy, the United States and Russia for the September 9 to October 23 World Cup in New Zealand.

- Reuters

Tags: sport, rugby-union, super-14, australia, nsw, sydney-2000

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Mitchell in the dark over return

Posted May 13, 2011 17:02:00

Drew Mitchell says he is not even close to pencilling in any prospective comeback date, despite reports that the injured Wallabies star will turn out for a Sydney sub-districts team in August.

Mitchell suffered a horrific ankle dislocation in the Waratahs' Super Rugby loss to Queensland last month and is still recovering from the trauma of seeing his foot at right angles.

The high-speed collision with Reds forward Scott Higginbotham left Australia's best-performing winger in a race against time to be fit for the Rugby World Cup starting in September.

Few, except perhaps Mitchell, give him any realistic hope of featuring in the global showpiece, so it has come as a surprise to the 55-Test flyer that he is being billed as a star attraction for Balmain's Ladies' Day.

He and fellow Wallabies ace Matt Giteau made a cameo appearance for Balmain last year, but Mitchell on Friday said the Bugs had "jumped the gun a little bit" in distributing a media release this week, saying he would make his comeback for the Third Division club on August 13.

"I haven't even started to bear weight on my foot, so I'd be mad to start saying which team I was going to play for and against which opposition," he said.

"I'm only three weeks into what was considered a 12 to 14-week injury and even that could change.

"I haven't even sat down to look at what footy will be played then.

"Obviously, Super Rugby will be finished but I'm not even sure what stage the Sydney club rugby will be up to, whether there'll be finals or anything like that.

"It's a lengthy process and I don't want the pressures of saying what type of footy I will be playing.

"Apart from the physical nature of the injury, there's also mental hurdles you have to clear that come with seeing your foot distorted like that.

"So I'll play when I'm physically and mentally ready."

Mitchell was keen to clarify his position because "if it's out there in the public domain that I'm playing on August 13 and I don't, then there will be question marks around that, too".

Mitchell had been in outstanding form for the Waratahs before being injured, scoring six tries from nine games and shaping as a World Cup certainty.

- AAP

Tags: sport, rugby-union, super-14, australia, nsw, sydney-2000

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Mitchell eyeing surprise Cup selection

Posted April 26, 2011 15:56:00

Injured Australia winger Drew Mitchell, who dislocated his ankle last Saturday, is targeting a return to the field in time to be considered as a surprise inclusion in Robbie Deans' World Cup squad.

Mitchell suffered the injury when he collided with Scott Higginbotham during the Waratahs' 19-15 loss to the Queensland Reds in their Super rugby match in Brisbane.

Waratahs coach Chris Hickey said after the match, when it was confirmed Mitchell had dislocated his right ankle and broken a bone in his leg, that his winger was not expected to be back this year.

Players with similar injuries have needed at least six months to recover.

The 27-year-old Mitchell, however, said he expected the injury to be healed within three months and the motivating factor during his rehabilitation would be to be included in Deans' World Cup squad.

He had been an almost certainty prior to the injury.

"The indication I got is 12-14 weeks, it is much better news than it could have been," Mitchell was quoted as saying by Tuesday's Sydney Morning Herald.

"If I had been looking at the World Cup as not being an option at all, sometimes the motivation might not have been as high as it could be.

"I'll make sure that whatever day-to-day rehab stuff is required, I will do.

"It will be tedious and boring but, if that tedious and boring work is going to put me in a position to hopefully be looked at for World Cup selection, it will be worth it.

"I was immediately trying to work out how many weeks it would be before I could possibly return. It has put me in a better place than what it could have.

"Also, ever since the last World Cup when we were eliminated in the quarter-finals, from that moment I have done everything I can to get back for the next World Cup."

Australia have been drawn in Pool C with Ireland, Italy, the United States and Russia for the September 9 to October 23 World Cup in New Zealand.

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Mitchell lies injured at Lang Park

 Published:Saturday, April 23, 2011 10:29 AEST

Waratahs winger Drew Mitchell lies injured during the round 10 Super Rugby match against the Reds at Lang Park on April 23, 2011.

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