Brown: I’m not changing Bok philosophy

by | Jun 18, 2025 | African Golf News

Attack coach Tony Brown says his goal is not to turn the Boks into the retreaded All Blacks.

Brown has been entrusted by Bok coach Rassie Erasmus to innovate and sharpen up the attack to match the world champions’ deadly defence.

In a podcast with former Highlanders assistant coach Ben Herring, Brown spoke of his journey with the Boks over the past 18 months since his appointment. He says the task is simple.

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For Brown, it’s not about reinventing the wheel, it’s about taking that wheel and adding some flashy details to it that’ll have opposition teams doing a double-take.

”I’m not going to make them play like New Zealand rugby players. I’m just going to try and improve South African rugby the way that they’ve always done it for hundreds of years.”

Brown shares Erasmus’ view that the top teams always need to keep innovating to maintain their place on rugby’s totem pole.

”Rassie’s a super innovative guy anyway. He’s amazing to sort of sit alongside and have meetings with, have chats to about the game and how you train and how you play. So, we were always going to coach well together. So I was excited about seeing how he operated as a coach and you know, South Africa are obviously a pretty awesome team.”

But is there such a thing as over-innovating?

Brown certainly seems to think so.

”The South Africans have a massive strength around how they play the game and as long as you’re not losing your way and you’re adding value in and around that, you know, that big rock that makes you a good rugby team, then you’re always going to be successful.”

The Springboks get their international season under way on 28 June with an exhibition match against the Barbarians at the Cape Town Stadium before three Tests against Italy and Georgia, and it will be interesting to see if Erasmus and Brown’s attacking innovation will be on display in those matches, or if they’ll be keeping their cards close to their chest for the Rugby Championship.

Photo: Steve Haag Sports/Gallo Images/Getty Images

The post Brown: I’m not changing Bok philosophy appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.