Bok a buddy: New defence guru Flannery to pak aan Nienaber’s winning foundation
New Springbok defence coach Jerry Flannery plans to build on the back-to-back World Cup-winning foundation of Jacques Nienaber but in his own way.
The 45-year-old former Ireland hooker will serve as Rassie Erasmus’ new minister of defence following Nienaber’s exit after the 2023 Rugby World Cup.
The trio worked together when Erasmus and Nienaber were coaching Munster in 2017 and ex-Harlequins assistant coach Flannery has acknowledged Nienaber's work ethic and expert strategies, knowing he has moerse shoes to fill.
Flannery, however, emphasises his unique contribution over the next four years as the Bokke chase an unprecedented three-peat of Webb Ellis crowns, and plans to identify areas for improvement while maintaining the traditional strengths of the Bokke.
He says: “When I was at Munster and Rassie and Jacques came in, he [Nienaber] was just incredible, and Rassie spoke about his incredible work ethic.
“I’m very fortunate, and the Springboks are very fortunate, for the foundation that Jacques has put in and anything positive that happens from here is going to be built on that foundation.
Tony Brown: When Rassie Erasmus rung me, I immediately said yes
— Ashfak Mohamed (@ashfakmohamed) March 12, 2024
One day I might be part of coaching the All Blacks, but I'm excited to be part of the Boks for the next 4 years
Jerry Flannery: I felt the excitement of working with the players at the camp#Springboks #Rugby pic.twitter.com/ovhOKZ9RUc
“And anything that goes wrong is all on me! I’m going to build and add to that … I can’t be Jacques, and if I tried to be him I’d be a poor imitation. But I can be Jerry and I bring what I bring to the table.”
Flannery adds: “Because of the Springboks’ success in the World Cup, they have a big target on their back. We must therefore continue to develop, on defence, on attack, our kicking game, and fixed phases continuously.
“The [defence] coach’s job is to create a picture that will give you clarity if you might be unsure about how the system works.
“Then it’s about the movement patterns on the pitch… getting players used to what is expected of them within the structure.”
New #Springboks assistant coaches Tony Brown and Jerry Flannery honoured to be involved and can't wait to get stuck in - more here: https://t.co/pcqfIGP12G 🤩#StrongerTogether pic.twitter.com/zyWxRzo5hf
— Springboks (@Springboks) March 13, 2024
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