Rassie and Nick Mallet talk rugby

Two very astute rugby brain have an exellent discission

about their rugby experiences.

Maybe poor Mozzie will cease his long and relentless smear campaign against Rassie.

Lovely podcast.

I really enjoyed some of the memories they shared about touring.

I heard a much lighter side of Mallet during the podcast.

...only critisism... he cannot stop fucking mumbling while Rassie speaks... take note if it.

"ye yaa hmmm mmmm yes... ya uhuh... yes mmm ha... exactly... mmmm yeah ya...." FUUUUUUCK it killed me.

Awesome loved that - two very likeable gents who happen to be the best two coaches the Boks have ever had

I think Snor was out best coach David. And he was also very likable.

Very true Chip - how could I forget

Snor was so good that no test team could even afford his services since. A pity, but genius must come at a price.

Didn’t he coach Zim at one point?

That must have been charity work.

Shame the oke has had a rough time.

Lost his Wife and daughter in a short space of time.

He was a harmless cherub who found himself in the right place at the right time.. and drove the ferrari that Jake built!

Anyway. He's been down and out a few times.

Sounds like he's climbed the highest highs and been to the lowest lows in life.

Long life to him.

I recently met with Nick Mallet and he had a few interesting things to say that I didn't know about.

Firstly, he said that in his opinion, Rassie was the best ever coach of the Springboks, hands down.

He also said that we were incredibly lucky in this day and age because we have all just witnessed the most dominant era of Springbok rugby ever, with the winning of the two world cups, the Lions series and the back to back rugby championships.... he said nothing else comes close.

He also said that the only reason why Rassie chose Pollard to go to the world cup, and have 4 x fly half's there, even though Rassie knew that he would get major heat for it, was because he had made a personal promise directly to Handre when they were still in South Africa, that should anyone get injured, and he was ready and fit, that he would fly him over as the first choice replacement.... he said that he could not go back on that promise to Pollard

Nick said that the biggest trait of Rassie that got all of his players solidly behind him, was that they trusted him implicitly and that he was always open, direct and honest with them.

For instance, if you were getting dropped from the team, you were never told behind closed doors in a hotel room somewhere, you were told when, where and why you were getting dropped in front of the whole team, so that there was total transparency.

Nick said that the biggest trait of Rassie that got all of his players solidly behind him, was that they trusted him implicitly and that he was always open, direct and honest with them.

In his book Rassie mentioned that about the Mallett era - that there was no transparency and also how tribal it got in terms of provincial lines in the team, which was a big part of that tenure's downfall.

I couldn’t listen to a podcast full of fake Dr Lucky humility, but I am curious, did Mallett ask him why Schmidt out coached him again?

Poor Moffie being exposed for being the fucking idiot who doesn’t rate Rassie

Given Mallets take on Rassie as the best coach ever, hands down, to a board member - could it ever get more embarrassing for the stupid childish old man?

What a fucking loser you are Moffie

In his book Rassie mentioned that about the Mallett era - that there was no transparency and also how tribal it got in terms of provincial lines in the team, which was a big part of that tenure's downfall.

Mallet mentioned that he also got this very wrong, and he also said that one of his biggest regrets in his career was the way he handled the Skinstad and Teichman selection .... he said that he seriously got that one wrong and often thinks about how he could have done that so much better.... he admitted that he treated Gary horribly and disrespectfully.

A funny story he also mentioned was when he was offered the Italy coaching position

Nick was good mates with the then Italian rugby president at the time, who offered him the coaching job for Italy, but Nick really really did not want the Italian coaching job because he didn't think it would really do his career any good, so he asked his wife for advice, and she told him..... well just price yourself out of the market, and tell them that for you to have to move your family from South Africa to Italy, you want exactly double the salary that they are offering....

He requested double the salary and they accepted it on the spot over the phone.....

His wife told him later that they should have requested 3 times what they offered

His wife is a smart lady….but maybe she was ultimately happy shopping on the Via Montenapoleone in Milan?

True true Moz