Hansen predicts 2-2 tie as Springboks enlarge squad

Former All Blacks coach Steve Hansen has predicted a tightly contested 2-2 draw in the upcoming four-Test "Greatest Rivalry" series between South Africa and New Zealand, as the Springboks expanded their squad amid potential injury concerns. The series, a highlight of New Zealand's eight-match tour of South Africa, will begin with two matches in Johannesburg and Cape Town before concluding with two Tests in Baltimore, United States, on September 12.

Hansen, speaking on a podcast, analyzed the 44-player Springbok squad named by director of rugby Rassie Erasmus, calling it "very, very strong" with few weaknesses. He praised the coaching group's "clever" management of a large player pool, noting their strategy of maintaining a cohesive core while gradually integrating new talent. "He has built cohesion," Hansen said. "He surrounds them with a core of people that are the cohesive unit... so the cohesion is actually getting stronger."

The squad's size increased to 44 on Monday with the recall of prop Ntuthuko Mchunu. While South African rugby officials did not specify a reason for the call-up, it has raised questions about the fitness of key loosehead prop Ox Nche. Nche sustained a...