Mitchell to put master to test

By CHRIS RATTUE

It could be portrayed as a clash between master and pupil.

Laurie Mains versus John Mitchell, the Cats versus the Chiefs, at Tauranga Domain on Sunday.

Mitchell's young coaching career, which already includes a stint as assistant to England's Clive Woodward, has gone past the point where he is of pupil class.

But Mitchell readily acknowledges Mains as a prominent influence on his career, after the former All Black coach brought the Waikato stalwart in as his midweek captain in England and Scotland in 1993.

Mitchell never made it into the test side, but still proudly recalls the "480 minutes" he played for the All Blacks.

That All Black status gave him added confidence and opened doors which have helped his career.

Mains, in turn, says he picked the Chiefs as one of the New Zealand sides to beat when he learnt that Mitchell had taken charge of the inconsistent franchise.

"I brought him into the All Blacks because he had discipline, leadership and a structured way of playing the game," Mains says.

"He is now taking that to the Chiefs. I am not surprised at all how well they are playing and I'm chuffed at what John has achieved.

"New Zealand rugby needs young coaches of his calibre. You can see the Chiefs have a strong structure and some quality players who are taking the opportunities on the field."

The Cats have never won out of South Africa. But Mains believes that because his side have been together for a couple of seasons, they are much better equipped to break their duck.

He dismissed suggestions they might be affected by such a small venue as Tauranga because they were used to playing at the giant Ellis Park.

He said his players had experienced similar small settings in domestic rugby.

* The Cats have stopped using a controversial lineout tactic, unveiled against the Sharks last week, which involved throwing captain Johan Erasmus high before the hooker released the ball.

Mains said he cleared the move with referee Peter Marshall. but now accepted that it was illegal because a lineout began only when the ball was thrown in.