Rassie Erasmus\u2019 search for the Springboks\u2019 next attack coach has officially begun.<\/p>\n
The head coach struck gold by hiring Tony Brown in 2024, with the former All Blacks pivot making a clear improvement in the way South Africa attacks and has adapted to law changes since the 2023 Rugby World Cup.<\/p>\n
However, Brown will be returning home permanently after the showpiece event in Australia next year, leaving SA Rugby and Erasmus with a void to fill.<\/p>\n
The Boks head coach will already have a few ideas in mind to succeed Brown, and we take a look at who some of those candidates could be.<\/p>\n
Franco Smith<\/p>\n
Brown was a huge coup, and Franco Smith would be too. Erasmus<\/a> and Smith go way back to their playing days, where they donned the Springboks<\/a> jersey together while they also worked together when the former was head coach at the Cheetahs.<\/p>\n Smith has previously worked with the Springboks as an assistant under Allister Coetzee and was offered the opportunity to continue working with the team when Erasmus took over, but there was a catch: he had to step down from his role with the Cheetahs. He opted to remain with the Bloemfontein club and eventually took on the top job in Italy and then in Glasgow.<\/p>\n The Warriors\u2019 boss has made no secret of the fact that he wishes to return to the international<\/a> arena after being linked with the Wales and Scotland jobs. He may still fancy his chances of replacing Gregor Townsend after the 2027 Rugby World Cup. Smith is currently contracted through to the end of the 2027\/28 season, so unless there is a clause in his contract (it\u2019s highly likely), SA Rugby may need to fork out a fee to secure his services.<\/p>\n While Smith has made a name for himself as a head coach in recent times, attack is his forte and would be someone Erasmus would probably give a call to at the very least to gauge his interest. A pursuit of Smith would likely hinge on the former fly-half\u2019s personal ambitions. Is his interest in returning to international rugby rooted in being the top dog, or will he be willing to lead the attack with the prospect of possibly filling Erasmus\u2019 void after the 2031 World Cup?<\/p>\n Rassie Erasmus\u2019 verdict on Tony Brown\u2019s Springboks exit: \u2018We\u2019ve made the mistake in the past\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n Mike Catt<\/p>\n Staying abroad and the recent news of Mike Catt\u2019s departure from the NSW Waratahs<\/a> could pique SA Rugby\u2019s interest. Born and raised in South Africa, Catt certainly has the South African connection despite playing all of his rugby in England.<\/p>\n A Rugby World Cup winner in 2003, Catt has garnered a reputation as a world-class attack coach despite the Waratahs\u2019 under-performance during his two-year spell. He worked with England between 2012 and 2015 before making the switch to Italy through to 2019 before joining Ireland.<\/p>\n His extensive international CV is certainly a tantalising prospect for the Springboks and could well be one of the coaches who will be on Erasmus\u2019 radar.<\/p>\n Local coaches<\/p>\n SA Rugby and Erasmus have been somewhat reluctant to dip into the local stocks when recruiting new coaches, with Jerry Flannery and Brown coming in from abroad after the 2023 World Cup, with the same true for Felix Jones after Swys de Bruin stepped down from his role four years prior.<\/p>\n Deon Davids had parted ways with the Southern Kings before he was recruited to fill Matt Proudfoot\u2019s void, while the only coach who could be considered as \u2018pouched\u2019 from the local franchises was Daan Human from the Bulls.<\/p>\n So if SA Rugby and Erasmus stick to script, it\u2019s unlikely that they would go after a local coach, but if they were to, Dawie Snyman would be near the top of the list. Snyman has been a long-time member of the Stormers coaching team, and his knowledge of the local talent and relationship with many of the players would be a real asset to the Springboks. The same applies to Lions coach Ricardo Loubscher, a former Springboks assistant coach.<\/p>\n The highly regarded Scott Mathie is returning to South Africa to join the Sharks next season, so it\u2019s highly unlikely that the Boks would make a move for him, and Swys de Bruin\u2019s son Neil is just getting his seat warm at the Bulls. Some may well enter Erasmus\u2019 thinking, but SA Rugby would be wary not to dilute the local coaching pool if it\u2019s not necessary.<\/p>\n Nick Evans<\/p>\n One former All Blacks fly-half for another? Erasmus values the input of his assistant coaches, and Flannery could well be planting the idea of getting his former Harlequins colleague in the mix in South Africa.<\/p>\n Flannery\u2019s defence and Evans\u2019 attack inspired Harlequins\u2019 stunning run to the 2021 PREM Rugby title and could be a good mix for the Springboks too. Another factor that plays into the Boks\u2019 hands is that Evans has just vacated his role at Harlequins after 18 years as a player and coach.<\/p>\n Evans is incredibly highly rated in many circles, having also worked with England on a part-time basis. His next destination is yet to be confirmed, but he is bound to be in high demand. A bonus is he could potentially attend Bok camps, as Flannery did in 2023, to get a feel for the structures and protocol before taking on the job.<\/p>\n Quins boss makes bold Nick Evans \u2018head coach\u2019 prediction and calls for \u2018chalk and cheese\u2019 reaction to difficult season<\/a><\/p>\n AB Zondagh<\/p>\n The son of Alan Zondagh, AB, is one of the leading names in rugby attacking and skills coaching. He too has a glowing CV, having started out his career at the Sharks before linking up with Toulouse in 2019.<\/p>\n During his time with the French giants, the club won two Top 14 titles and an Investec Champions Cup. Following his spell with the club, he joined Gregor Townsend\u2019s Scotland coaching team as their attack coach, a role he fulfilled through to the 2023 World Cup before returning to France, joining Lyon\u2019s backroom staff.<\/p>\n He is another coach who is held in high regard and has extensive club coaching credentials and has made the step up to the international level.<\/p>\n Felix Jones<\/p>\n Could the successor already be in the coaching structures? The Irishman was initially hired in 2019 to fill De Bruin\u2019s void but was given the defence consultant title. However, he was Munster\u2019s backline coach during Erasmus\u2019 time in charge.<\/p>\n Currently, he has quite a wide remit in the Springboks and SA Rugby structures, but Brown\u2019s departure could result in him taking a more specialist role in the team.<\/p>\n Mzwandile Stick<\/p>\n If not Jones, then Stick is a possibility too. The former Blitzbok has essentially been the Boks\u2019 skills coach specialising in aerial and off-the-ball skillsets during his time with the squad but has been tipped as a potential Springboks\u2019 head coach.<\/p>\n Could Erasmus see this vacancy as a prime opportunity to further Stick\u2019s development as he challenges him with a new department to oversee? It\u2019s certainly possible. The role isn\u2019t completely foreign to Stick, as he was initially hired to that position during Coetzee\u2019s tenure, but that was short-lived before he returned to the set-up when Erasmus took over in 2018.<\/p>\n Jacques Nienaber<\/p>\n It\u2019s long been speculated that Jacques Nienaber will return to the Springboks\u2019 set-up once his time with Leinster concludes and Brown\u2019s departure will open up some budget.<\/p>\n What Nienaber\u2019s return means for Flannery\u2019s position, only Erasmus and SA Rugby would know, but there is no doubt that the former\u2019s experience and expertise would be highly sought after in South Africa.<\/p>\n Defence is the 54-year-old\u2019s area of expertise, and while he wouldn\u2019t be an out-and-out replacement for Brown, he would bring immense value and Rugby IQ back to the Bok structures. A shuffle in roles and responsibilities could also be a route to accommodate Nienaber\u2019s return. For example, he could take over Jones\u2019 remit with the Irishman focusing more on the backs, with Nienaber weighing in on defence with Flannery but also the overall structures.<\/p>\n