Tony Brown eyes Kiwi downfall as Springbok tactician

It’s safe to say former Highlanders head coach Tony Brown is no stranger to rugby in New Zealand, but this time, it feels slightly different, as he looks to beat the All Blacks at Eden Park this weekend in the Rugby Championship.

Brown, who played 18 Tests for the All Blacks, now coaches the Springboks backline after joining the team before last year’s edition of The Rugby Championship.

The Springboks assistant coach has already helped orchestrate two victories over the All Blacks since joining Erasmus’ coaching staff, going on to win the Rugby Championship in 2024 after back-to-back wins against the Kiwis.

Talking to Jamie Wall from RNZ, Brown admits the Springboks must take it to the All Blacks in what is one of the most anticipated Test matches outside of a World Cup in many years.

“We’ve got to go and take on New Zealand in Auckland, and that’s probably going to be the biggest game of rugby since the World Cup final. So, it’s hugely exciting to be a part of,” said the ex-Highlanders coach.

Having been a part of the All Blacks for many years, and coaching with and against some of the current Kiwi coaching staff, Brown says it’s been important to be able to provide some information to his Springboks side ahead of the Test match.

“Being a Kiwi in the Springbok environment, asking me questions around the haka, about the All Blacks, about rugby in New Zealand. I’ve obviously got some insights into how we play the game and what the haka means to the New Zealanders, what the All Blacks means in New Zealand, and what the coaching team are like.

“I’ve played with the (All Black) coach, I’ve coached with a lot of the coaching team, coached against them a lot. So I’ve got some massive insights into how the All Blacks operate. And for me, being part of the Springboks is a massive honour, then being able to coach against obviously my home country is super exciting.

“I want to be part of those test matches, and there is no opportunity to coach New Zealand. So I’d rather be coaching the Springboks than coaching a URC team, sitting in the stands or watching on TV. I want to be part of the biggest games on the biggest stages,” Brown told Wall from RNZ.

The 50-year-old assistant coach explains that his coaching approach won’t change, no matter which No.10 wears the Springboks jersey next week at Eden Park, whether it’s Handré Pollard, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, or Manie Libbok.

“I think everyone thinks they’re all different, but ultimately, we need them to do the same job around being able to control our game, control field position, be massively important around controlling the forwards. Then being able to move the ball when opportunities arise and be able to take space for themselves.

“I don’t coach Handre different to the way I coach Manie or Sasha. Yes, Manie might be a little bit quicker than Handre, but Handre might be a little bit more physical. So they do have little differences, but I’ll never coach them a different way … to the job that the team needs them to do.”