Gavin Rich

John Mitchell

He is one of the most highly regarded coaches in international rugby, but also one of the most controversial. Now you can read why ...... John Mitchell's rugby-coaching career spans many years, several teams and various countries. He was assistant to Clive Woodward, who spearheaded England's 2003 World Cup - winning campaign, for four years in the pioneering days of professional rugby coaching, and he took charge of the All Blacks and the Chiefs in New Zealand, the Western Force in Australia and the Lions in South Africa. Indisputably one of the most experienced coaches on the circuit, he has arguably also been one of the most controversial. For although he made a success of all his tenures, he has challenged the structures and powers-that-be, resulting in several premature departures. This book reveals why, and also why Mitchell has successfully defended every disciplinary hearing he has been subjected to. For the first time, the rugby public will learn the truth behind the newspaper headlines: from his painful axing as All Black coach to his fall-out with the Western Force and his disciplinary hearing at the Lions, whom he had guided to a Currie Cup trophy, Mitchell sets out the reasons for his successes as well as his failures, and gives his opinion on what the future holds for South African rugby. Honest, gripping and revealing, this book is a must-read for every rugby fan.

The Real Story

Mitch

Was coach Heyneke Meyer the reason why the Springboks failed at the 2015 Rugby World Cup? And what does the future have in store for the incumbent coach, Allister Coetzee? Find these answers, and many others, in The Springbok Coaches. In this new, updated edition of The Poisoned Chalice, rugby writer Gavin Rich takes us past the disappointment of the 2015 Rugby World Cup right up to the appointment of Allister Coetzee in April 2016, and dissects not only the successes and failures of these two Springbok coaches, but of all the post-isolation coaches who preceded them. If all of them agree on one thing, it is that the job goes hand in hand with tremendous pressure and that, at some point, they all buckled under the strain. This book reveals why André Markgraaff and Rudolf Straeuli came up with some of their weird and controversial decisions, why Nick Mallett dropped Gary Teichmann and how he regrets it now, why Harry Viljoen really quit, and why the pressures on Heyneke Meyer made it so much more difficult for the Springboks to win the 2015 Rugby World Cup. This book chronicles all the post-isolation coaches’ experiences via interviews, articles and stats. From the triumphs to the controversies, the boardroom to the rugby field, The Springbok Coaches will reveal exactly what it takes to be the Bok coach, and why each and every one of them had, at some time or another in the toughest job in South African sport, lost it. A riveting, often revelatory and definitely controversial read!

The Springbok Coaches

The Springboks in Their Own Words

Our Blood is Green

The leaping Springbok on the green jersey of South Africa is one of the most iconic emblems in world rugby. At the same time, no symbol in world sport has ever done so much to divide - and then unite - a nation. Respected by opponents and supported passionately by South Africans, the Springboks have been a powerhouse rugby nation for over a century, yet the emblem that now sits alongside the Protea on the chests of the players was once a symbol of violent oppression in apartheid South Africa, the epitome of the white man's dominance over people of colour in the Republic. Told in the words of Springboks past and present, My Blood is Green explores what it means to play for South Africa - from schoolboy dreams to the sacrifices required to make it to the very top - as well as the myriad difficulties the players have faced over the years, from the horrors of apartheid through to the emerging rainbow nation in the 1990s and the multi-cultural team of today.

Going Behind the Springbok Jersey

Our Blood Is Green

The leaping Springbok on the green jersey of South Africa is one of the most iconic emblems in world rugby. At the same time, no symbol in world sport has ever done so much to divide  and then unite  a nation. Respected by opponents and supported passionately by South Africans, the Springboks have been a powerhouse rugby nation for over a century, yet the emblem that now sits alongside the Protea on the chests of the players was once a symbol of violent oppression in apartheid South Africa, the epitome of the white mans dominance over people of colour in the Republic. Told in the words of Springboks past and present, Our Blood is Green explores what it means to play for South Africa  from schoolboy dreams to the sacrifices required to make it to the very top  as well as the myriad difficulties the players have faced over the years, from the horrors of apartheid through to the emerging rainbow nation in the 1990s and the multi-cultural World Cup-winning team of today. It is a fascinating, powerful and poignant read that explores the unity of a brotherhood that fights to transcend race, culture and class while simultaneously striving to become the best team on the planet. Our Blood is Green examines what it truly means to be a Springbok and it is told the only way it can be  by the players themselves.

Gavin Rich

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