Afrikaans news outlet Rapport are reporting that former Munster and Ireland hooker Jerry Flannery is set to link up with Rassie Erasmus and the Springboks, as their new defence coach.
Flannery is currently defence coach with Harlequins - who are second in the Gallagher Premiership with the second best defence - and previously worked under Erasmus at Munster in 2016/17.
With the departure of former head coach and defence guru Jacques Nienaber, the Springboks are in need of a top quality appointment.
Jerry Flannery In Line To Join Exciting Springboks Set-Up
The news comes as a slight surprise, as it was reported in November that recently retired Ulster and South Africa number eight, Duane Vermeulen, was set to be handed the role.
The article from Rapport also states that the highly regarded attack coach, Tony Brown, is set to join the Springboks coaching panel as well.
Brown has coached under Jamie Joseph with Japan at the last two World Cups.
READ HERE: Jerry Flannery Gives Fascinating Insight Into The Effect Rassie Erasmus Has Had At Munster
READ HERE: Rassie Erasmus In Hospital After Receiving Chemical Burns In Freak Accident
30 October 2017; Munster scrum coach Jerry Flannery and Munster director of rugby Rassie Erasmus in conversation during Munster Rugby Squad Training at the University of Limerick in Limerick. Photo by Diarmuid Greene/Sportsfile
A Flannery appointment would also fill the 'former Munster player' void left by Felix Jones, who has taken up the role of defence coach with England.
Jones had been part of the Springboks set-up since the 2019 World Cup, and also coached alongside Flannery at Munster, under both Erasmus and Johann van Graan.
Back in 2017, Flannery went into detail on the huge effect Erasmus had at Munster, and the respect he has for one of rugby's most talented and colourful figures.
"He's top class," Flannery said. "It's easy to say that he has a fantastic rugby brain. What he did, it was such a tough situation coming in with Axel. I went into the job unsure of how things were going to be. Axel's been my mate and has been a consistent part of my life since I was 12-years-old.
"Munster brought Rassie in with a long-term view and I wasn't sure what was going to happen. When I met Rassie before I was deciding to stay with Munster again, I went, 'This guy, he's emotionally intelligent. He's a good guy.' When I spoke to Axel, he said, 'Yeah, I like him.' That was the main thing. You can learn about rugby but if the guy you're working with is a dick, then you're not going to get on with him.
"What he's done is, he's come in and empowered all of us as coaches. He empowered Axel. He helped develop me as a coach. He brought Felix Jones onboard. He's brought Jacques Nienaber [defence coach] - who's one of the best coaches I've ever come across in my life - into Munster.
"He creates an environment where hard work and honesty are rewarded. It genuinely is rewarded. When you look at the way teams have been selected, it's not always the big names that get selected. It's the guys who rock up, who train the hardest, who put Munster and the team before themselves. He's been a huge asset to Munster this season."
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