Rugby World Cup: England defence coach John Mitchell sees no advantage in spying on training sessions
England must beat New Zealand to advance to the Rugby World Cup Final
Last Monday, England head coach Eddie Jones claimed that someone was seen filming their practice session. However, he refused to comment on the man's identity. Today, England's defence coach John Mitchell further took over the conversation. He said that he finds no advantage in their opponent's attempt to spy on his team.
Before England plays New Zealand in the Rugby World Cup 2019 semi-final at the International Stadium in Yokohama on Saturday, strong words are continuing to flow from the English side. Mitchell pointed fingers at the All Blacks camp. He said that if his opponents think it's fair to spy on them to improve their chances that way, then he welcomes his on-field foes.
Mitchell previously coached the New Zealand side. Now that his current team will face his former employers, he is confident that they can beat the defending champions.
Speaking of the spying event, Mitchell said "We just happened to be training where there are apartments above our tiny two-metre fence, so I am not sure about what the use of the tarpaulins are. The facilities have been excellent, but it's an area where people live and there is the odd red light around. There was one up in the corner, which was a bit suspicious.
When asked if he is worried that his opponents will have an edge over his team during the semi-final, Mitchell seemed to appear worry-free. He feels that the game is dynamic enough to not give his opponents any additional advantage even if they spy on the English side.
In an interview a day ago, Jones admitted that he himself used to spy on his opponents. However, since 2001, he called a stop to this practice. However, Mitchell seems to be confident that such practices still happen everywhere and it's quite common.
BBC reports that Mitchell recalled an incident in 2001, when he took over as the New Zealand coach. He revealed about a manager within his team who loved military operations. Mitchell claimed that the person loved surveying the entire area where matches are about to happen.
Mitchell claims to have been involved in scenarios where coaches spied on their opponents, but he clearly explained that he sees no advantages in such behaviour.
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