Steve Hansen has pushed back on the narrative that Super Rugby Pacific has declined since the South African franchises left, arguing that elite players set their own standards regardless of competition context — and applying the same logic to dismiss concerns about Ardie Savea's sharpness returning from Japan. But he's candid that New Zealand does miss the regular exposure to South African rugby's physicality and style, and sees the Greatest Rivalry Tour as genuine preparation value, not just nostalgia.
With Dave Rennie taking a large squad to South Africa for midweek games against the URC franchises ahead of the Springbok series, Hansen frames those fixtures as a vital intelligence-gathering exercise — for the coaches to assess squad depth and for the players to recalibrate against the specific challenges South Africa presents. He's unambiguous about the stakes: South Africa remains New Zealand's "strongest foe," and the tour recreates a format he believes the game has been poorer without.