Tony Brown Springboks appointment met with praise

Former Japan assistant coach Tony Brown embraces Japan wing Kenki Fukoaka. Photo: Andrew Cornaga / www.Photosport.nz

Earlier this week, one of the worst kept secrets in SA rugby was confirmed when former All Black flyhalf Tony Brown was unveiled as one of the Springboks’ new assistant coaches.

ALSO READ | Three Springbok masterstrokes from Rassie Erasmus

Brown served as an assistant coach for Japan from 2016 to the 2023 World Cup and was also the Highlanders head coach in 2017, 2021 and 2022. His focus will be on attack.

Speaking on the Boks Office YouTube show, former Springbok legends Jean de Villiers and Schalk Burger shared their views on this appointment, which they applauded.

“We played here [at the Stormers] with Tony Brown. He came here after his Highlander days and he spent a season with us,” Burger commented. “He was amazing and then he went off to Japan and played a bit there and then moved into coaching.

“He won a Super Rugby under Jamie Joseph for the Highlanders, so he is going to bring something different. We know he thinks about the game. Every time Tony Brown coaches a side you know he does something inventive on attack. He will add a different dimension.

“He has got a different physical specimen to coach, so things that he had to be inventive with to get over the gainline will be a little bit simpler to coach,” Burger added. “But if he can add the added dimension of the subtle offload or something inventive like he has done with the Japanese then it can only empower our physicality.”

WORLD RANKINGS: Ireland cut into Springboks’ lead at the top

De Villiers suggested bringing in some new ideas from ‘foreign’ coaches was a clever move.

“We talk about the innovation and trying new stuff, but he (Rassie Erasmus) does it even from a coaching point of view. Not just sticking to what we have here in South Africa.

“I think it will be difficult for a foreign coach to be the head coach of South Africa, but the value lies in exactly what Rassie is doing now, by getting assistant coaches and experts in their field to come and add to the team.

“However, Rassie was the guy that brought Tony Brown to the Stormers back in 2008 and Rassie has coached with (Jerry) Flannery at Munster.”

CONFIRMED: Rassie Erasmus NO LONGER director of rugby

SPRINGBOKS COACHING TEAM:

Rassie Erasmus – Head coach
Mzwandile Stick – Assistant coach
Deon Davids – Assistant coach
Daan Human – Assistant coach
Tony Brown – Assistant coach
Jerry Flannery – Assistant coach
Andy Edwards – Head of Athletic Performance

ALSO READ | Springbok coaches host first session ‘in hospital’ with Rassie