Rugby Legend Makes Bold Prediction for Springboks vs All Blacks 4 Test Series in South Africa

• Steve Hansen appeared on the Rugby Unity podcast to weigh in on Rassie Erasmus' squad selection ahead of the Springboks-All Blacks series
• Hansen praised Erasmus and his coaching group for how they have built squad cohesion while managing player rotation across the Nations Championship block
• The ex-World Cup-winning coach was then pushed to make a bold prediction about how the four-Test series would end

Former All Blacks head coach Steve Hansen has backed Rassie Erasmus' approach to squad management, calling the Springbok coaching group "clever" in how they balance rotation with continuity, before predicting a two-all draw in the upcoming four-Test series against New Zealand.

Hansen shared his views on the Rugby Unity podcast, where he assessed the 43-man squad named by Erasmus, which grew to 44 on Monday following the late addition of prop Ntuthuko Mchunu.

**Hansen Salutes Erasmus' Selection System**

During South Africa's recent Nations Championship block, which featured home wins over England, Scotland and Wales, Erasmus used 43 players in total, including five debutants. Twenty-three of those players made only a single appearance during the Southern Series.

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Rather than viewing this as disjointed, Hansen argued it reflected a deliberate and well-structured system. "He has built cohesion," Hansen said. "Like when he adds these young guys in, he doesn't throw them in ad hoc. He surrounds them with a core of people that are the cohesive unit, the cog of the team."

Hansen was quick to credit the wider coaching staff rather than Erasmus alone. "It's not just Rassie; the whole group need to be given credit. They are good at making sure, okay, we've got a solid block here of people that know what we want, how we want to do it, when we want to do it, and we'll just drip feed in some more people."

Test Series Prediction: "Could Be Two All"

The four-Test series opens with two matches in Johannesburg and one in Cape Town before concluding in Baltimore, United States, on 12 September. Pressed for a prediction by show presenter David Pembroke, Hansen said: "Four Tests, could be two all. Look, it's going to be fantastic to sit back and watch it because there are contrasting styles."

On new All Blacks coach Dave Rennie, Hansen suggested he would not be distracted by what Erasmus was doing. "He'll be driving his own bus. He won't be getting too worried about what Rassie's doing."

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Former Wallabies coach Ewen McKenzie, also a guest on the podcast, echoed the two-all forecast but noted New Zealand's potential tactical flexibility.

"New Zealand can maybe do other things as well, so we can't just make assumptions," McKenzie said. "South Africa are probably going to approach it like they always approach it. So yeah, if New Zealand can find ways to put pressure on them, then they might have to create some stress in the South African setup."

McKenzie added that he hoped refereeing would not overshadow the contest. "My bottom line is let's just hope the yellow cards aren't deciding outcomes."

Source: Briefly News