The Bok No10 who inspired Tony Brown and 'took over New Zealand rugby'

Former All Blacks flyhalf Tony Brown has come into the South Africa set-up this year and implemented a stylistic shift for the world champions that is not usually associated with the Springboks, rather the All Blacks.

The attacking verve that the Rassie Erasmus’ side have shown so far in the Rugby Championship is not what has been the foundation of the Springboks’ back-to-back World Cup triumphs.

But while the former Highlanders coach has been credited with bringing his philosophy that has usually been associated with New Zealand rugby, it was in fact inspired by a South African. At least the way he approached the game as a player was.

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Brown joined former Springboks Rudy Paige and Juan de Jongh on the Behind the Ruck podcast recently, where he said that former Bok Henry Honibal “was my favourite player.”

The former All Black went on to explain how the 35-cap Springbok, alongside a cohort of Australian players, changed the way that teams attack which in turn “took over New Zealand rugby.”

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This influenced Brown as a player and subsequently as a coach, as he confessed on the podcast that he knew he would “be a better coach than I was a player”.

“There are a few rugby players who probably influenced how I played and how I tried to get the Highlanders and Otago to play when I was a player,” Brown said.

“Henry Honibal was my favourite player. He attacked the line really well. Everything that he did was right on top of the defence, on the gainline.

“No one really played like that in New Zealand. It was a more traditional first-five, stand a bit deeper, and give yourself more time and space and just move the ball to the wings and give them the opportunities.

“So I tried to create a different style for myself because I wasn’t as quick as everyone else, so I tried to flatten up a lot and stay close to the gainline and create the space for the wingers rather than just give the ball to the wingers. That was something I always admired about Henry Honibal’s play.

“Also, around about that time, Australians started to get a lot flatter as well. I think the Brumbies led the way there with George Gregan, David Knox and Rod Kafer, they were always really flat to the gainline and it became the way I tried to play and eventually, it took over New Zealand rugby as well. Everyone had to be flatter and more physical and the No10s had to become a lot more dominant physically on both sides of the ball, in attack and defence.

“As I went through my rugby career, not overly talented, but understood the game really well and tried to find different ways to play the game and I always knew that I’d be a better coach than I was a player. Because if I can get some players with a bit more talent than me to understand the game and play the game a certain way, I think was always why I thought I’d be a better coach.”