Tony Brown: 'Maybe the All Blacks are not quite getting that right'

All Blacks playmaker turned Springboks attack coach Tony Brown has shared his thoughts on his former team’s form,  de-emphasising the attacking side of the ball when looking at areas where the Kiwis are struggling to hit the lofty heights expected of them.

Brown is yet to lose a Rugby Championship title with the Springboks after joining Rassie Erasmus’ coaching staff following the 2023 Rugby World Cup, and is steering the team into a daring new direction with his more expansive attacking instincts.

New Zealand, on the other hand, have been criticised for playing more conservatively in recent times. The All Blacks finished the Rugby Championship with the fewest linebreaks, carries, metres gained and offloads, despite beating the most tackles.

But Brown didn’t look to the team’s attack when asked whether his analysis had found a more regimented, unambitious playstyle.

“I think Test rugby is a little bit different,” he responded during an appearance on Sky Sports’ The Breakdown. “There are so many different things around how you win a game of Test rugby, and it can’t be just attack.

“You’ve got to get everything right on the day: you’ve got to get your set piece right, you’ve got to get your kicking game right; the contest in the air has become a massive thing. You’ve got to get everyone on the same page and attacking together, or defending together.

“That’s the beautiful thing about what Otago’s doing at the moment. Even though it’s a lesser competition, they’ve just got everyone on the same page; they’re switching from defence to attack, or attack to defence, at the same time.

“There’s a lot more at stake in Test match rugby, but ultimately that’s what you want your side to be doing all the time. Sometimes, maybe the All Blacks are not quite getting that right.”

Brown donned an old Otago jersey for his cameo on the show, representing his home region’s colours ahead of their NPC final challenge in Christchurch on Saturday.

The 50-year-old has played for and coached the Dunedin-based NPC outfit as well as Super Rugby’s Highlanders, while his international duties with Japan contrast dramatically with his current role in South Africa.

“For the Japan side, the set piece is not quite as good,” he joked. “So, you definitely get a bit better ball to attack off. And they’re obviously bigger humans who love the physical side of the game, whereas the Japanese side loves the flair and loves moving the ball. New Zealand is probably a little bit of both.

“It’s definitely different going into the Springbok camp and trying to coach them. But it’s been very enjoyable. I just try and coach them my way and try and get them playing the game that I want to try and play; and try and use their strengths rather than try and get them to do something that they’re not comfortable with.”