Former All Blacks coach John Mitchell insisted Monday he would stay on in South Africa to coach the Golden Lions, despite being stabbed in his Johannesburg home during a weekend robbery.

Two men broke into a Johannesburg apartment Mitchell was sharing with fellow New Zealander Wayne Taylor on Saturday night, and one of them stabbed the 46-year-old coach during a struggle, police spokesman Moses Maphakela told AFP.

Mitchell at first thought the attack was a prank and jumped on one of the assailants.

Taylor escaped through a bathroom window and alerted police when he heard the attackers demand money from Mitchell, Maphakela said.

"I'm not feeling great, obviously, but my injuries are not too bad and I just thank God that they missed the artery in my leg when they stabbed me," Mitchell said in a statement.

"I am still very committed to the Lions. This is a beautiful country and I consider myself fortunate to have the opportunity to work here," he said.

"I won't let this deter my commitment or passion for the team, but I need to make sure that I am totally secure in where I live, as it is not at all nice waking up and having to defend your life."

"The security at the complex was insufficient on Saturday night, as we have lived there safely for over three months. The security company has a lot to answer for with what happened to us," he added.

Mitchell was stabbed in the thigh and upper arm, but he returned to work Monday receiving stitches for the wounds, the team said. Local radio reported that he limped and wore a plaster cast on his right arm when he arrived for work at the Johannesburg stadium.

The attackers fled with electronic equipment, but dumped the bigger equipment in their flight. Police took fingerprints from the house, but had no further leads, said Maphakela.

Lions president Kevin de Klerk expressed his horror at the attacks.

"We have rallied around both John and Wayne during this terrible time and have placed them both in new accommodation for the time being while we find them new permanent residency," he said.

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