Worldly, erudite, multi-lingual and proven in several environments. This man must be the next coach of the England rugby team. Nothing about Nick Mallett smacks of Aviva Premiership weights lifting academies or RFU accredited coaching badges or moving through the system being sycophantic to the right people. He seems to me to be about as far away from Rob Andrew as a rugby person could be. Though Andrew went to Cambridge and Mallett to Oxford.
He combines the rugged, ruthless streak common in South African rugby with an erudite and enquiring mind. For a generation of rugby players who have never seen past the back door of their local Nando's, Mallett is a rugby traveller, the best sort of rugby person. Never accepting that he knows everything or that the South African way is best, he has travelled the rugby world accepting challenges and learning on the hoof.
He was schooled in the same way as many white Springboks, at a white private school, in the Eastern Cape, from where he moved to Cape Town University where he took a BA in English and History. Ah, a man of letters, a reading man. Excellent.
From there he moved to Oxford - just another thick rugby player, many mean-spirited souls will cry - but he took blues in both rugby and cricket. He once hit three sixes in an over off Ian Botham. English, history, rugby AND cricket. I'm unashamedly biased.
Back in South Africa he won 4 consecutive Currie Cups with Western Province and won 2 caps for the Springboks.
His coaching career began in Italy at Rovigo from where he moved to Saint-Claude in France. He then coached Boland back in South Africa, then the Springboks assistant coach before being appointed head coach in 1997.
If it hadn't been for typical stubbornness and political infighting of the SARFU, who knows what Mallett could have achieved. He took the Boks on a record winning streak of 17 wins, including an unbeaten Tri-Nations. His time with his national side ended after his relationship with the captain Gary Teichmann soured and Mallett spoke out against high ticket prices. Instead of going through a disciplinary hearing for allegedly "bringing the game into disrepute", he resigned.
He returned to coaching in 2000 with Stade Francais, to whom he brought domestic titles in 2003 and 2004. Success. It was then back to Western Province before taking up the Italy job. The very fact that he took the Italy job is highly laudable. A coach of his calibre would have enjoyed more success at any of the top clubs in the world and most national sides. It says a great deal about him that he took on such a challenge. Italy moved forward under Mallett, slowly but forward, and there are greater issues in Italian rugby that are outwith the remit of the head coach of the international side.
He's also consistently won with the Barbarians - crucial wins with a dying franchise playing an impressive style of rugby. With two hours practice on a Tuesday and another two hours on a Thursday, these wins are not to be sniffed at.
As a rugby coach, his credentials are some of the best around. As a person, likewise. The culture he will create will be a winning one, with no excuses. In many ways he reminds me of Clive Woodward in his professional outlook. This is no time to pick a candidate to learn on the job. England must start winning, the resources are too great to make mistakes.
Technically he is clearly adept. He is used to media pressure and the PR skills that come with it - something that Wayne Smith shied away from - and he clearly loves a challenge. He's always succeeded and played good rugby, too. For England to get to where they should be, it has to be Mallett.
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