Australian consultant Barry Honan, hired to help the Stormers attack, has warned South Africa that they must discard their conservative ways if they hope to become the leaders of rugby innovation.

Honan, a highly rated backline strategist, is with the Stormers at their Super 12 camp in George. He has warned South African rugby that they must switch to the expansive game.

"The expansive game is the way of the future," he told the Cape Times. "It's up to the South African Rugby Football Union, but if they want to go forward then they must have the right coaches. These coaches must have the right vision to take the game in that direction.

"The fans don't want to watch uninspired rugby anymore. They demand exciting, running rugby and the coaches have to oblige," he said.

Honan rates the Stormers highly. "In the Super 12, I'll put them in the top three, along with the Hurricanes and the Brumbies," he said.

The Australian coach said it takes at least three months to begin to develop the feeling, skill and strategy of an enterprising backline. "If you are starting from scratch and there's no expansive skill to begin with, it takes at least a year."

Honan said the main styles of playing are epitomised by Queensland and the ACT Brumbies. "Queensland were a winning team despite their conservative style of play, whereas ACT had a very complete style.

"It's been a matter of choice. The expansive game is the game of the future, not (Queensland coach) John Connolly's style."

Honan, who played centre for the Wallabies in 1969, was asked by Harry Viljoen to work with the Stormers in 1998. He also joined the Springboks in Argentina in November.

He believes the biggest threat to Viljoen's quest to build a Bok team of flair are likely to come from within South Africa. "There's a tremendous amount of negativity surrounding the Bok team in South Africa. I sometimes feel that the pride in the Bok jersey, although it is still there, isn't quite what it used to be."

Honan said South Africans are very impatient about results in rugby and need to overcome it and support the team. "In Argentina, the team had just stepped off the plane with a new coach and there was already some negativity to suggest some may even have wanted the coach to fail," Honan said.