John Mitchell insists too much time spent away from home rather than any fallout with Eddie Jones led him to quit England.
The New Zealander informed Jones in May that he would be leaving his role as defence coach - three months after signing a contract extension.
A report claimed the separation followed boss Jones trying to prevent Mitchell from going to watch his son play cricket on a day off.
The former All Blacks coach denied that last night as he helped prepare Wasps to take on Covid-hit Munster in Sunday’s European Cup opener.
“I was just sick of bubbles, sick of the long periods of time away from home,” he said.
“If a gold medal was important to me, if that was my main priority, then maybe my decision would have been different.
“But at 57 years of age I value life more than just winning a World Cup. My life has been exposed before in not winning a World Cup so I know exactly what that’s like. I’m not going to put myself in that situation again."
Mitchell says he woke up one day in April, having thought about it for a month at least, and thought ‘It’s time to make the right decision’.
“I needed to move on, get out of international rugby," he said. "So I made a decision that was important to myself and to my family.
“It was an easy one in the end. We had a normal chat and I said ‘Eddie, I’m done, mate, thanks very much’.”
The popular Kiwi claims he remains on good terms with Jones, who replaced him with Anthony Seibold.
“Eddie texts me and we have chats,” he said. “I invited him around to my home for a meal when Hiroko’s been away.”
Mitchell’s outlook on life changed in 2010 when he was stabbed twice by intruders who broke into his house in South Africa.
“Definitely there are things more important to me than rugby,” he said.
There is no getting away from pressure, however as Wasps, having lost five straight, are expected to beat a Munster side minus their stars as well as team boss Johann van Graan after being caught up in South Africa’s Covid chaos.
The Irish province have not played a game since October and been forced to bring in 22 youngsters to avoid having to forfeit the tie.
But Mitchell said: “I’ve been around too long to fall into that trap. They’ll be buoyant after what Ireland did to the All Blacks last month.”
