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Former Test centres on why Tony Brown will fit in well with the Springboks
By Grant Constable
Following the departure of a number of coaching staff from the Springbok setup after winning the world cup in France, there has been plenty of speculation about who will take them forward to Australia in 2027.
The panel on the latest episode of Boks Office have chimed in, discussing who they think will be involved and what they will bring to the role.
Earlier this week it was revealed that former All Black and Highlanders legend Tony Brown will likely be joining Rassie Erasmus as an assistant coach, with it reportedly already a 'done deal'.
Brown, assistant coach of Japan at two World Cups, will join as an attack coach as Erasmus rebuilds after the departures of Jacques Nienaber to Leinster and Felix Jones to England.
"What an acquisition that would be. He was amazing," said former England, Saracens and Natal Sharks back, Brad Barritt.
"The guy to learn from... To date probably the best pass I've ever seen. It was just on a sixpence every single time. That's an amazing coup."
Former Springbok captain Jean de Villiers, who played alongside Brown when he was at the Stormers in 2008, believes that he brings a significant amount of knowledge and experience to the table.
"If the Boks get that right... If you think, Tony Brown started in the mid-nineties playing Super Rugby and international rugby, went all the way though and finished at about 2010," says de Villiers.
"Then he went straight into coaching, coached in Japan, coached the Highlanders, coached throughout the world... So he's got 35 years of IP and experience at the highest level of rugby that he can fall back on and now bring that to the Boks."
Any potential concerns about how, as a New Zealander, Brown would fit into the South African setup were quickly quashed.
"He played for the Stormers in 2008. Can you remember who the coach was? Rassie Erasmus."
Former Ireland and Munster hooker Jerry Flannery has also been linked with the Springboks post Rugby World Cup 2023. He worked as scrum coach under Erasmus at Munster before going to Harlequins.
The Boks Office guys also discuss, amongst other things, which rugby players would make good MMA fighters, how Finn Russell is more important than Gregor Townsend, mental health and the new Whistleblowers documentary, and how Ireland will cope without Johnny Sexton in this year's Six Nations.
You can watch the full episode of Boks Office for free now on Rugbypass.TV
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Latest Comments
I think you have gone in the wrong direction here Nick. I think you need to delve down into the rules etc around Moana Pacifica’s selection policies and then you need to understand that a lot of KIWI BORN rugby players have PI heritage. It appears ok for the 4 home nations to pillage NZ born players constantly without retribution but you want to question whether NZ BORN players should be eligible for NZ? Seems a real agenda in there.
Go back and look at the actual Aims and agenda for MP becoming a entity and you see lots of things enshrined in policy that you arnt mentioning here. EG there is an allowance for a percentage of MP to be NZ eligible. This was done so MP could actually become competitive. Lets be real. If it wasnt this way then MP would not be competitive.
There also seems to be some sort of claim ( mainly from the NH ) that NZ is “cashing in” on MP, which , quite frankly is a major error. Are you aware of how much MP costs NZR Financially?
39 NZ born rugby players played at the last world cup for Samoa or Tonga. PLUS plenty for Scotland, England, Ireland and Wales.
Taumoefolau is a BORN AND BRED NZer. However I very strongly doubt he will be an AB, but who do you believe he should be allowed to play for? Levi Aumua is ALSO a born and bred Kiwi.
Aumua was eligible to represent Samoa and Fiji for the Pacific Nations Cup in July that year but ended up playing for neither. He IS eligible for his nation of Birth too Nick
He is a Kiwi. Are you saying an NZ born, raised Kiwi cant play for NZ now?
Sorry Nick Kiwi born and bred actually qualify for NZ.
Go to commentsYeah, Richie certainly stepped up for the ABs in 2022 and 2023 and proved he could translate his skills into the test arena. You have to understand many fans checked out at that point though, only to tune back in for a directionless WC final.
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