The appointment of John Mitchell as the next Stormers coach may not be as cut and dried as it seems.
The Cape Times understands that some of the senior players at the union are unhappy with the possible appointment of the former All Black coach, who has walked away from his last two Super Rugby jobs at the Western Force and the Lions under a bit of a cloud.
The players apparently met with Western Province’s director of rugby Gert Smal last week to discuss the matter.
WP president Thelo Wakefield on Thursday confirmed that the union had an interview with Mitchell, but are also still evaluating other candidates for the job before making a final decision.
Wakefield also said that he isn’t aware of any player unhappiness about Mitchell.
“I haven’t had any contact with the players and I don’t know about their feelings surrounding John Mitchell,” the WP president told the Cape Times. “If the players are not happy about Mitchell, it is the first time I’ve heard about it.
“We spoke to John Mitchell, but we can’t allow a guy to compete with himself. We can’t just look at one person for the Stormers coaching job.
“We need to test him against other candidates and that is the process at the moment. We know exactly what John Mitchell can do and we had a great interview with him.
“But we have to throw the net wider, because this is one of the most important appointments in South African rugby.”
There is a possibility that backline coach Robbie Fleck, who has been put in charge of the team by Smal after Eddie Jones’ departure last month, and Currie Cup boss John Dobson could be in charge for next season if an appointment is not made soon.
The Stormers kick off their campaign in the revamped Super Rugby competition on February 27 against the Bulls at Newlands.
“If we really don’t find a suitable candidate, we can make use of the expertise of a Robbie Fleck and a John Dobson and Gert Smal. And I believe we can take on the new season with the expertise that we have at our disposal,” Wakefield said.
“If we want to appoint a coach on Thursday, we could be in danger of hurrying the process (and) that could be costly. When you look at getting a person to fill such an important position, you have to be patient.
“We had a great coach in Eddie Jones, but unfortunately he has left. We have to go look for a person who is similar to Eddie Jones. Not a lot of coaches can fill his shoes.”
Meanwhile, Wakefield was re-elected as WP president on Monday night after the union held their 24th annual general council meeting and elections at Newlands. He was first elected in 2012 and will serve as president for another three-year term before retiring.
At the meeting, the delegates also gave Wakefield a mandate to vote against retaining the services of current Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer. On Tuesday, EWN reported that South Western Districs chief executive Johan Prinsloo also said that they will oppose another four-year term for Meyer.
Former Stormers coach Allister Coetzee, who is currently coaching in Japan, is the early favourite to be the next Bok coach. Wakefield has put his support behind Coetzee to take over from Meyer.
“The union has decided that it’s time for a different coach, and someone that can put South African rugby back on the map,” Wakefield said. “We say Saru must give direction in this matter.
“Allister has all the traits to be a great international coach. He has extensive Super Rugby experience and the time has come for him to make the step