'I'm always up for anything': Tony Brown on Boks' attacking innovation

The architect of the Springboks’ bold new attack, Tony Brown, says he’s constantly being challenged to innovate, and is thriving in an environment characterized by “creative chaos”.

Not only does the former All Black pivot hold the reins of the Rugby Championship’s most lethal attack, he has one of the game’s brightest rising stars in Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu to steer the ship.

The Springboks scored more points in the 2025 Rugby Championship than they had in any campaign prior, with several final quarter extravaganzas showing just how dangerous they can be.

But Test rugby isn’t kind to any side that halts momentum or rests on its laurels for as much as a moment, something Springboks head coach Rassie Erasmus is keenly aware of, as the appointment of a former All Blacks game-driver suggests.

Brown appeared on Kiwi punditry show The Breakdown this week and shared what it’s like to work with Erasmus in the Boks coaching group.

“Rassie’s defeintely an innovative guy,” he told a panel of former All Blacks. “He’s always asking the coaches to come up with something new, something different, whether it’s defensively, whether it’s kicking game-wise, set piece-wise, or attack-wise.

“He’s always asking the question, ‘Would this work?’ or, ‘Would this work?’. And I’m always up for anything. So, it’s quite an exciting coaching team to be a part of.”

Brown described the coaches box as “creative chaos”, and said the goal of the upcoming Autumn Nations Series was to “keep pushing our game forward” in all aspects.

When it came to Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Brown couldn’t speak highly enough of the 23-year-old, comparing his rise to some of the greats of the game. He also talked about the role of an attack coach in the youngster’s development.

“Obviously there are special players out there who come along, and they’re special becasue they can do things that other guys can’t do on the rugby field. Sacha’s definitely one of those guys.

“You saw it with Dan Carter when he first came along, Dupont with France, all of the best players that have ever been have had something special about them. He’s got that talent; he sees space better than anyone, he’s got athletic ability to attack as a 10, a 15, or a 12.

“He’s actually quite a tought kid, he’s a boxer so you don’t want to take him on on the rugby field. You see him get into a few scuffles, he’s a scrapper.

“He’s got the talent, so my job is just to get him to do the simple things well. Things that win you Test mtches, kick your goals, kick well out of hand, control the game, lead the team around the field. If I can do that, his talent’s just going to come out all the time on the rugby field.”