Italy new coach (after RWC): Nick Mallet

[danit]

according to several sources form South Africa, Italy and France, Nick Mallet, former Boks and Stade Francais coach, will be appointed as Azzurri head coach just after the RWC, signing a 4 years long contract

Alexandre Marco, former physical trainer of Stade Francais (he was togheter with Mallet when they won the Top14 in 2002 & 2003) and of France national team, will be new Italy physical trainer

Philippe Cariat, actually backs coach, will stay in for the moment

 

[pat11]

mallet nick is a good coach, the Italy will advance with him, very as it they make with berbizier

 

[danit]

what about Les Blues pat?

do you know who will be appointed after Laporte?

Saint-André? Galthié?

 

[feicarsinn]

think that may have been a mistake by italy if they are terminating his contract and not the other way round. they've come on leaps and bounds over recent years

 

[An Tarbh]

I think it was always his intention to leave after the world cup, he said that after the Six Nations.

I wonder whether he has aspirations to be French coach again having done so well with Italy it could curry favour for him with the FFR. Either that or I'm sure he'll be looking at a decent job with one of the top sides, if someone like Galthié takes over at France then maybe he'd be appointed coach at Paris???

 

[Deano]

Will be great replacement to Berbizier who has done well for us. He will take us forward even more and we have a very good U21 right now so he can progress these players into the seniors eventually.

 

[BokMagic]

Well I think that it`s a magnificent coup de gras for Italy to get Mallet on board. He`s a guy who has a wealth of experience, both of test and club rugby. Comes complete with a world-record equalling run of 17 wins when he 1st started with the Boks, including a tri-nations ***le, and a clean sweep of 4 wins over NZ and Aus. SA were a bit mad to let him go as Bok coach in 2000.

 

[xparker]

Nick is a brilliant coach, i think very underated esp in his time with the boks, he was put under enourmous pressure, and I think at times very unfairly.

 

[danit]

it's been officialized today

much awaited in Italy to see how he's gonna move

will he change the game style?
will he pick up some more (or new) eligible foreign players or will he try to develop some italian youngsters?
who is he going to pick up at the halves after Troncon retirment and the awful RWC by Pez?
will he confirm Bortolami as capt. or will he pick up Mauro Bergamasco (who he had already coached at Stade Francias)?
how is he goign to deal with italian clubs poor level and the little Super10 italian league?

 

[melon]

Hopefully Italy will start venturing along the path of becoming what Argentina are now.

 

[Juggernaut]

Hope someone can correct me but I understand Berbizier is taking up a coaching position with one of the Top 14 teams.....think it might be Perpignan??



and well done to Italy for securing Mallets services. The 6N crown is not too far away now.

 

[danit]

Hope someone can correct me but I understand Berbizier is taking up a coaching position with one of the Top 14 teams.....think it might be Perpignan?? [/b]

it should be Racing Métro Paris, a very ambitious team from the ProD2 (who also picked up players like Pichot, Sireli Bobo, Lo Cicero, Festuccia, Russel, Vaikona, Railawui, Lombard, Valbone, Auradou, Ward, Leo'o, Dieudé), Berbizier should be appointed as general manager but it's not official yet

and well done to Italy for securing Mallets services. The 6N crown is not too far away now.[/b]

a little bit too optimistic, I'm afraid...

 

[Zimboy]

THat's good stuff or Italy, SA had a good run under Mallet not that JAke White isn't doing a good job

 

[Prestwick]

Well I think that it`s a magnificent coup de gras for Italy to get Mallet on board. He`s a guy who has a wealth of experience, both of test and club rugby. Comes complete with a world-record equalling run of 17 wins when he 1st started with the Boks, including a tri-nations ***le, and a clean sweep of 4 wins over NZ and Aus. SA were a bit mad to let him go as Bok coach in 2000. [/b]

Yes, especially with who SA hired afterwards....

Anyway, Nick Mallet is a superb coach with experience in almost every part of the world no matter how big or small, it'll be quite a challenge for him to shape an Italian side without a decent fly half, poor disipline and with a dysfunctional national league system.

 

[charlievolano]

<div class='quotemain'> Well I think that it`s a magnificent coup de gras for Italy to get Mallet on board. He`s a guy who has a wealth of experience, both of test and club rugby. Comes complete with a world-record equalling run of 17 wins when he 1st started with the Boks, including a tri-nations ***le, and a clean sweep of 4 wins over NZ and Aus. SA were a bit mad to let him go as Bok coach in 2000. [/b]

Yes, especially with who SA hired afterwards....

Anyway, Nick Mallet is a superb coach with experience in almost every part of the world no matter how big or small, it'll be quite a challenge for him to shape an Italian side without a decent fly half, poor disipline and with a dysfunctional national league system.
[/b][/quote]

very good points:

1) Poor discipline: i think they can work on that
2) Decent Fly Half: there is none out there
3) Poor local lueague: i guess they' ll have to live with that, best players need to play abroad. I mean you can still have a decent national teams with a poor league (i.e. czech republic or ireland in football)

 

[Prestwick]

very good points:

1) Poor discipline: i think they can work on that
2) Decent Fly Half: there is none out there
3) Poor local lueague: i guess they' ll have to live with that, best players need to play abroad. I mean you can still have a decent national teams with a poor league (i.e. czech republic or ireland in football) [/b]

I think something (eventually) can be done with the state of the Italian leagues. Maybe they will improve on their own as Rugby gets gradually more popular in Italy?

 

[imka]

Good news for italian rugby, they'll have them place in the 6N now

 

[Juggernaut]

<div class='quotemain'>and well done to Italy for securing Mallets services. The 6N crown is not too far away now.[/b]

a little bit too optimistic, I'm afraid...
[/b][/quote]

It's gonna happen some time soon enough...Mallet is gonna continue building the foundation started by Kirwan & Berbizier and in 20 years time, you could be a powerhouse.

 

[BokMagic]

All too true mate. Mallet`s strengths are in the forwards, he can generally get any pack to play to their full potential. That`s a scary thought if you look at guys like Castrogiovanni, Parisse, Bergamasco and Bortolami.

Mallet`s also a coach who prides himself on being open to outside influence. One of the biggest criticisms of his Bok tenure in SA was that he was influenced too much by the Brumbies style at the time. Which was a ridiculous criticism really- if you can hold onto your traditional strengths and add some new tricks to your armour, by all means do so.

If there is maybe one area of concern in his coaching, it is his player management style. Mallet generally wears his heart on his sleeve, and is bound to really have a go at his players, in a very public forum, if things go awry. Gaffie Du Toit`s never really recovered from the bollocking he received at the hands of Mallett after a particularly poor individual effort in an away tri nations game. This could be difficult for some of the more volatile Italian players to deal with, but I genuinely think that his time with Stade France might`ve mellowed him a bit.

 

[danit]

Mallet generally wears his heart on his sleeve, and is bound to really have a go at his players, in a very public forum, if things go awry[/b]

could be what some italian players need just now to fully explore their potential