Boks jet into Jersey with huge attacking potential still untapped, according to Brown

Andy Edwards – Head of Athletic Performance during the Castle Lager Incoming Series match between South Africa and Ireland at Hollywoodbets Kings Park on July 13, 2024 in Durban, South Africa. (Photo by Steve Haag Sports/Gallo Images)

By Craig Ray

29 Oct 2024

Tours of Britain in November are usually a wet slog, but the Springboks want to continue their attacking development.

There was something serendipitous about the Springboks arriving in Jersey to prepare for their coming British tour on the one-year anniversary of their Rugby World Cup 2023 triumph.

Jersey, the island off England’s southwestern coast, is in fact closer to France than it is to Britain. It might just be a good omen that this tour started so close to the scene of one of the greatest nights in Bok history.

The epic 28 October 2023 battle against the All Blacks for the Webb Ellis trophy was all over social media on Monday. The Bok players must surely have enjoyed a little reminiscing about those events in Saint-Denis, which oddly feel both recent and ancient at the same time.

On a sensory level, South Africans can easily recall the range of emotions they went through that night as if it were yesterday. Yet, practically, so much rugby has happened since then, it already feels like the distant past.

Not that the Boks are really about looking backwards. They might have allowed themselves a small glance at images of their triumph, but the hard work started on Tuesday as they continue to race into the future with a new vision.

‘Untapped’ potential

Scotland, England and Wales await. All winnable on paper, less straightforward in reality.

Scotland tend to make life difficult for the Boks at Murrayfield and they always fancy themselves to take a big scalp in November.

The sides met in their respective opening matches of Rugby World Cup 2023 in a sweltering Marseille last September. The temperature was well into the thirties that balmy evening, as the Boks ran out 18-3 winners.

Edinburgh is definitely going to be colder, but with a bit of luck it might be dry on match day. With the Boks continuing their transition to a new attacking style under assistant coach Tony Brown, a moderate temperature with firm conditions would be welcome.

Springbok attack coach Tony Brown. (Photo: Steve Haag Sports / Gallo Images)

Brown has been impressed with what he’s seen and witnessed in his first seven months with the Boks, and in turn the players have responded positively to his up-tempo, quick-transitioning attacking play.

“The amount of talent that they (the Boks) have, and it’s probably untapped talent as well,” Brown said on the Breakdown, New Zealand’s weekly rugby show. “Over the last two World Cups they’ve been a real physical side, relying on their defensive game and the ability to physically grind a team down.

“Now that we want to try to get a bit more expansive with our attacking game, I’ve found that the talent is definitely there and the potential of where we can go could be huge.”

Sacrifice?

Brown dismissed the suggestion that the Boks would “sacrifice” a result in the quest to build the team towards Rugby World Cup 2027 in Australia.

While experimentation and risk have always been a part of coach Rassie Erasmus’ philosophy, this tour is about winning. The squad Erasmus initially picked had no uncapped players and 29 World Cup winners in it.

That has changed due to injury, with the uncapped loose forward Cameron Hanekom coming into the set-up after utility back Damian Willemse pulled out with a groin injury.

Erasmus’ selections are a clear signal that the Boks mean business on this tour, and that they will be trading in targeting wins and not in blooding new players.

That’s not to say the evolution of the attacking game, which has been evident throughout the course of the season, will be abandoned. It’s just that experienced players will be on the pitch implementing the new style.

“Rassie has a four-year plan around getting ready for the World Cup, but like any nation, no one wants to lose Test matches,” Brown said. “I don’t think we want to sacrifice any games, but we definitely want to try different things and different players and build the squad so we have a number of different guys in different positions.

“That has been a focus this year, but I’m a competitive guy and the Springboks are one the best teams in the world. They definitely don’t want to lose a Test by throwing someone in there that they don’t believe can play at that level.”

And when it comes to the transition in style, it has taken boldness from leaders such as Erasmus to steer players towards uncomfortable places in the name of growth and improvement.

“South Africans have been more used to a defence and set piece dominated game, so when we made the decision to try to push them towards a more attacking style, we weren’t quite sure how far we could push them,” Brown said.

“I believe they (Bok players) are untapped because we never know how good we can be. But if we get that mindset right about attacking and playing an expansive game of footie, the potential is huge.”

Jersey camp

The week they will spend in Jersey will give the team time to refresh their playbook from the recent Rugby Championship, which the Boks won with five wins out of six games.

The squad is stacked with experience, with only Hanekom and the recently added tighthead Wilco Louw and flyhalf Jordan Hendrikse having not been part of that tournament.

Head of athletic performance Andy Edwards. (Photo: Steve Haag / Gallo Images)

“It’s our first time together after the Rugby Championship, and with the players doing different things over the past few weeks, it’s good to get back together and regroup,” said head of athletic performance Andy Edwards.

“The United Rugby Championship players had a combination of down time with others playing, and the UK- and European-based players are also back from their clubs, while the Japanese players were on a break.

“The main thing is to get back into the swing of things in terms of what the coaches want to do planning wise, and tightening things up again before the November internationals.

“With us being in Jersey, which is close to the UK, it will certainly make the transition easier for the players ahead of the November tour.

“Jersey has everything we need, and it’s close to the UK, especially with us heading to Scotland next, so there won’t be concerns around long-haul travel going into the first Test, which is a big positive,” Edwards added.

“It’s also a small island and gives us an opportunity to experience something different.

“I don’t think anyone in this group has been to Jersey before, and over and above that, they have world-class facilities that are only a few years old, which ticks all the boxes for our high-performance needs with a great gym and fields.

“The L’Horizon Hotel (where the Boks are based) looks out on to the ocean, so from a team perspective we can push hard in terms of rugby intensity, while also achieving the balance of down time and social cohesion before the Tests.” DM

Springbok schedule

10 November (Sunday) – vs Scotland at Murrayfield – 6.10pm

16 November (Saturday) – vs England at Twickenham – 7.40pm

23 November (Saturday) – vs Wales at Principality Stadium – 7.40pm

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South Africa

‘Untapped’ potential

Sacrifice?

Jersey camp

Springbok schedule