All Blacks legend thrilled to have Tony Brown back in the fold in 2028

The legendary winger has hailed NZ Rugby for moving quickly and decisively to snap up Brown's services, with his contract expiring at the end of the 2027 Rugby World Cup.

SA Rugby have been in talks with all of Rassie Erasmus' assistant coaches after the head coach re-signed through to the global showpiece in 2031, and they hoped to convince the former All Blacks pivot to extend through to that point too.

Instead, NZ Rugby swooped to secure Brown's return to New Zealand with the renowned attack coach signing a two-year deal to be the All Blacks assistant despite there being uncertainty over Dave Rennie and his staff's future beyond the Rugby World Cup.

According to Wilson, it doesn't matter who the head coach will be after Australia 2027, as NZ Rugby couldn't miss out on the chance of recruiting Brown, and any coach will be happy to have him in their ranks.

Ian Foster and Scott Robertson both attempted to get the former Highlanders coach on their tickets when applying for the All Blacks gig, but the ex-fly-half stayed loyal to Jamie Joseph and rejected their advances.

However, NZ Rugby have now got their man, and Wilson is delighted.

"This is an opportunity New Zealand rugby couldn't afford to miss because there'll be another World Cup cycle. We knew he was available, and he has always said that he wants to coach the All Blacks," the legendary winger said on a special episode of Sky Sport NZ's Breakdown show reacting to the news.

James Parsons was also pleased by the signing and the timing of the announcement. Many feel that the confirmation came too soon, but the ex-All Blacks and Blues hooker believes that it removes doubt and will stop the questions around his future.

"It gets away from the conversation of it, nips it in the bud, and everyone knows he now is coming and it's a done deal, rather than 'Why is he not here?'" he remarked.

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Wilson predicts that the way New Zealand teams play will be different by the time Brown arrives, pointing to Jason Holland's appointment as head coach of the Blues. He takes over from Vern Cotter in Auckland with the Blues fielding a ton of criticism for their attack during the latter's tenure, but Wilson sees improvements elsewhere.

"I think our game's going to change over the next two years. I really honestly believe that," he said.

"I've seen the way teams are trying to play in Super Rugby. With Jason Holland going to the Blues, he's going to change the way that they play. They're going to do it differently.

"There is going to be a lot more alignment with our Super Rugby teams and our All Black environment about the type of rugby we would expect our players to develop into, and Brownie's history in the game and the fact there's understanding of it."

Speaking on Brown's strengths as a coach, Wilson continued: "He was always coming up with ideas [during his playing career]. What Tony does is he makes sure that you understand the fundamentals well; I think the really important part about this [appointment].

"Do those, execute them well, and then he drives players to have those expectations. So that when they can execute it, the skill set is there. He doesn't go away from that first; he builds that foundation that you need to have handling and kicking skills and the vision for the game.

"What he does is he motivates his players; he gives them freedom to play, and I think that's the big ticket for me about him is that everyone says, 'I get the freedom to play, I can pull the trigger with the sense that Brownie trusts me to go out and play my game'."

Wilson feels that Brown will get the All Blacks attacking in a way more akin to how fans have become accustomed to.

"That's something that I'd say a lot of New Zealanders would feel that New Zealand rugby for a time may have lost, and maybe we're trying to get back to that," he added. "It's just nice to seal him up, and get his pen to paper, and now, he is in the future for our country."

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