All Blacks won’t have Brown

Victor Matfield says there’s “no chance” Springbok attack coach Tony Brown will join the All Blacks before the 2027 World Cup.

Speculation around Brown’s future intensified following Scott Robertson’s departure as All Blacks head coach, with Jamie Joseph emerging as the frontrunner to replace him.

Should Joseph get the job, there has been strong talk in New Zealand that he would look to reunite with Brown, with whom he previously coached at the Highlanders and Japan.

Matfield, however, believes that scenario is a non-starter.

“The one thing I can tell you is you won’t have Tony Brown,” the former Springbok lock said on the Rugby Rivals podcast. “Maybe after the World Cup, you can pull him over, but Tony will stay with the Boks until the World Cup.”

Brown himself has echoed that stance, recently stating: “I don’t have an ‘out’ of my contract, so I’m back in South Africa [until the World Cup].”

MORE: Tony breaks silence on All Blacks speculation

Springbok head coach Rassie Erasmus has also weighed in on X, making it clear Brown is “not leaving”.

While Brown’s availability appears settled, Matfield offered a more cautious assessment of Joseph, despite his popularity in New Zealand. The former Bok captain has worked closely with Japanese players who featured under Joseph and says the coach’s exit from the Brave Blossoms was not entirely smooth.

“One thing I must say is from the Japanese players, they weren’t too happy with Jamie Joseph at the end,” Matfield said. “Why that is, it sounded like he was very strict and very set in his ways. But he understands the New Zealand culture. He played, he looks like a rugby man, so it will be interesting.”

Former All Blacks wing John Kirwan, however, remains a strong advocate for Joseph and believes Brown’s presence would be a major asset – even if that proves impossible.

“I really like Jamie, I think Jamie is a really top coach,” Kirwan said. “What he’s done is take underdog teams and have incredible success. What he did with Japan was amazing.”

ALSO: ‘NZ Rugby must prepare to fork out for Tony’

Kirwan acknowledged Brown’s standing, adding: “We know Tony Brown is one of the best attack coaches in the world and he is a Kiwi. I love that combination.”

Still, Matfield insists NZ Rugby should not expect any flexibility from SA Rugby.

“You can’t have someone before a World Cup join your greatest rivals,” he said. “There’s no chance Rassie will do that.”

Some more confirmatiom.
Sleep.dream and wake up with a smile = Content pic.twitter.com/G55Kf7hOsj

— Johan Erasmus (@RassieRugby) January 17, 2026

Photo: Steve Haag/Gallo Images