John Mitchell admits he wasn't ready to lead All Blacks

John Mitchell was back on the Hamilton ground yesterday where he first made his name as a provincial star and then as a rookie head coach 17 years ago.

That starting point could have led to a very different journey if he hadn't been fast tracked into the All Blacks job.

The former coach admitted to 1 NEWS yesterday he wasn’t ready to take the reins of the national side over a decade ago.

"I could have done with three or four years with the Chiefs," he said.

"But ultimately you never turn down the chance to coach your country, do you?"

Discarded after the 2003 World Cup failure, Mitchell re-established himself overseas.

And he's picked up a record along the way, taking on his fourth Super Rugby franchise this season where he’s been tasked with reinventing the Bulls - a team that had hit rock bottom after winning their last of three Super Rugby titles eight years ago.

But what better way to attract attention to his efforts than knocking over the Hurricanes last month?

Mitchell said the 21-19 win wasn’t a fluke.

"If I compare this group to previous challenges, the talent within this group is phenomenal."