Louisa Wall: How far will the rebound carry wounded Mooloo Mitch?

Mitch has got the job. Oh lei, oh lei oh lei oh lei, Mooloo, oh lei - or something like that.

The Aussies eventually found some sense and the best man (who applied) got the Perth job.

And so it seems John Mitchell wants to coach the Wallabies. Otherwise why would he have cleared such a wide pathway to the Perth Super 14 coaching job? And it is most intriguing that current Wallabies coach Eddie Jones was so interested that he publicly came out against his former All Black rival's candidacy and has expressed dismay at his selection.

Maybe he is concerned that if he does not perform well this and next year, and Mitch has the same success in his first year in Perth as he did when he returned to Mooloo country, the Kiwi will be catapulted into holding the reins of the Wallabies.

On paper and in practice Mitch is the best person for the job and it's worth noting there was some super-heavyweight support across the Tasman from Aussie legends such as Phil Kearns, Bob Dwyer, John Eales (and, surprisingly, PM John Howard), who just want the franchise to do well and can see that Mitch will be a big asset to Australian rugby.

Does nationality matter in professional sport? It depends on where you are sitting. Would the NZ public be happy with a non-Kiwi coaching the All Blacks? Imagine if an Aussie was given the task. That would be our worst nightmare.

The Swiss didn't care that a non-Swiss was sailing Alinghi during their victorious America's Cup campaign but they did have a Swiss in Ernesto Bertarelli as the overall team leader.

We minded, however, that Russell Coutts had left us, but that is because he opted to go.

Mitch didn't leave our national team - he was dumped - and he has obviously set himself the goal of coaching the Wallabies, probably as the ultimate revenge on the New Zealand rugby fraternity and public.

There have been squeaks that the NZRFU cares but mostly people seem happy to let Mitch go.

But Mitch could eventually return, as did Graham Henry, Wayne Smith and Steve Hansen from foreign coaching pastures.

They individually and collectively became more skilled via their big OE before being given the chance to coach the All Blacks (remember that in Henry's case, when he left to coach Wales, he was told he would never become All Black coach).

The three of them brought home some of the brains that had been drained, and hasn't that proven to be a success for the ABs.

So I can understand some Aussies wanting to give the Perth job to another Aussie but with Mitch and the history he has with the NZRFU and the NZ rugby public, I have no doubt he would work towards the Wallabies beating the All Blacks if he got the chance (and isn't it interesting to note that other disenfranchised rugby icons such as Justin Marshall and Reuben Thorne have backed Mitch and again given two fingers to the Rugby Union?).

Given his psyche, and taking into account how he was replaced, Mitch has something to prove, and this wounded Mooloo has so much institutional knowledge about the All Blacks that in fact the Aussies would have been idiots not to grab him with both hands.

We will now see how a wounded Mooloo bounces back.

And all the while Graham Henry and his band of skilled clinicians are silent. But why should they care?

And it would be more appropriate for Mitch to coach in Western Australia than in any other state given the number of Kiwis living in Perth (I know, I've plenty of whanau there).

And would they support him? From my reports they already are and the NRL is already scared.

It all adds to the spice of the game we all love. Isn't the Super 14 a rousing success already, given the media coverage to date.

* Louisa Wall is a former New Zealand netball and rugby representative.