John Mitchell believes the All Blacks will have too many attacking weapons for the Springboks

John Mitchell holds concerns for the Springboks’ World Cup prospects and doesn’t believe they have the attacking threats to upset the All Blacks at Ellis Park on Saturday.

After four years in South Africa, following his departure as All Blacks coach after the semifinal exit at the 2003 World Cup, Mitchell is well placed to assess the country’s changing landscape.

His main worry is the lack of youth being promoted by the Boks.

With about 250 South Africans now playing rugby overseas – the equivalent of six professional teams – Mitchell says the next generation are suffering through a lack of faith from Boks coach Heyneke Meyer, who has instead turned to aging veterans Bakkies Botha, Victor Matfield and Schalk Burger.

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“Meyer hasn’t really transitioned a lot of youth and they’re not going to get a lot of mileage between now and the World Cup,” Mitchell said ahead of the release of his book, Mitch: The Real Story, next week.

“To win a World Cup you’ve got to win three or four big games in a row. They’ve got an aging rugby side that will have to go four games in a row.

“A lot of the schoolboy talent is being exposed earlier but the model doesn’t necessarily develop them physically, mentally or fundamentally like it does back at home. There’s still a reluctance and lack of confidence to introduce the youth because a lot of them don’t have the experience.”

On some levels Mitchell has empathy for Meyer. Being charged with implementing a quota system – the national governing body is targeting 45 per cent of the Boks to be coloured players by 2019 – is a massive political juggling act.

“There’s that different aspect to creating the right mix involved. It’s a measurement that has to be considered. There is a group of outstanding coloured players around. It’s just getting the right mix.”

But the 50-year-old, touted as the frontrunner to take over as Sharks director of rugby after the sudden departed of World Cup-winning coach Jake White, also believes Meyer hasn’t deviated enough from what worked with him during successful coaching reign in Pretoria.

“Meyer is somewhat vulnerable because all his staff are employed by [South African Rugby Union chief executive] Jurie Roux and [high performance manager] Rassie Erasmus and he’s inherited all of those staff. In many ways he only has one belief and that’s in the game-plan he succeeded with at the Bulls.

“He’s talking a good game about improving attack but the Boks have to get ahead to be confident and try things. Often scoreboard pressure forces them back to type. If they get ahead they’ll chance their arm more.”

Speaking from Durban, Mitchell also feels the Boks haven’t yet made a choice between first five-eighths Handre Pollard and Pat Lambie and believes they lack three pivots in the 10, 12 and 15 roles. On a hard and fast track at altitude, he predicts the All Blacks’ attacking threats will eventually overwhelm the Boks.

“In these conditions the All Blacks will get a lot more one-on-ones and be able to beat individual defenders a lot more. People talk about the wonderful ambition of the All Blacks but there’s still structure to it. It’s the structure that gives freedom. The only way I can see them losing is their attitude or execution. They prepare extremely well.”

He did, however, signal one word of warning.

“If there was one night as a test coach I didn’t sleep very well it was always against the old foe.”

On his book, written by Gavin Rich which includes five chapters on the All Blacks, Mitchell says it was time to set the record straight on a number of issues.

“I owe it to myself and to the game because it has given me so much. There’s a lot of perception and misinterpretation out there. I’m at a stage in life where I can share my success and failures as well. It will prompt others leaders to consider what they would have done it the same situations.

“Everyone else has had their say and now I can have mine.”