Jacques Nienaber approves new Springboks management

Outgoing Springboks head coach Jacques Nienaber has expressed full confidence in his successors, Jerry Flannery and Tony Brown, who will take over defence and attack coaching duties respectively.

The South African Rugby Union confirmed the appointments last week, filling the positions left by Nienaber and Felix Jones.

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FAMILIAR FACES FOR THE SPRINGBOKS

The transition promises to be a smooth one. Rassie Erasmus, who oversaw the squad’s 2023 World Cup victory, identified former Irish hooker Flannery as the ideal fit to lead the Springboks’ defence.

Flannery’s familiarity with Erasmus and Nienaber’s coaching systems, honed during their shared time at Munster in 2017, is a substantial asset.

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Additionally, Flannery, the current Harlequins defence coach, gained valuable insight during the Springboks’ 2023 World Cup preparations.

“I coached with him when we were at Munster,” Nienaber told the Irish Independent. “He would be very familiar with the way that Rassie would do stuff, because it will be very similar to how we did things when we were at Munster.”

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JACQUES NIENABER SEES VALUE IN NEW COACHES

Nienaber believes that Flannery’s expertise makes him an excellent addition to the team, noting his specific contributions to the squad’s preparations for the last World Cup.

“He actually helped us a little bit with the hookers. He added value with the lineout throws, him being an international hooker himself,” Nienaber explained.

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Nienaber further endorsed the hiring of attack coach Tony Brown, stating, “I think both of those appointments, him and Tony Brown, are excellent appointments. They will add value to the team.”

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Both Nienaber and his team clearly valued the coaching duo’s contributions: “When we did our club visits of the abroad players, Harlequins was one of the clubs that we visited. They were always open to us being there, so watching their training sessions, gym sessions, being in their team meetings.”