Australian rugby will not be the same following the death of one of its most loved and brilliant characters, David Brockhoff, according to the Sydney Morning Herald's Greg Growden.
"There is so much more to Brockhoff than dry rugby statistics. Probably no other person in Australian rugby can boast being at the core of so many hilarious stories, and can rightfully claim as many friends from the game.
"Hailing from a high-profile Sydney flour-milling family he became a master of biscuit making and was flamboyant, as a player and a teacher. His boundless energy won him Test selection, and his extroverted behaviour put him immediately alongside Bill Cerutti and Aub Hodgson as unforgettable Wallabies. In New Zealand, he was known as ''Offside Brockhoff'' because he could always be found on the advantage line, causing trouble.
"But it was as a coach that ''Brock'' really made his mark. He was a winner, initially with Sydney University where his unusual, often bombastic methods brought success. With a bath towel around his neck, or even a tartan scarf, he would stride around the training paddock, explaining his concise philosophy, inspired primarily by New Zealand provincial coach Vic Cavanagh - get a fierce, dominant pack, make them brutal at the ruck and scrum, ensure they were intimate with something called the ''famous Vickers machine-gun tripod defence'', and make certain you had a kicking five-eighth."
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