🔗 Share this article Can the All Blacks rediscover their winning form this autumn? The New Zealand team have won seventy-one percent of their games during the current decade Pursuing what would be just a fifth northern hemisphere clean sweep in their storied history, the All Blacks have embarked on their tour at an interesting juncture. Fixtures against the Irish team, the Scottish side, the English squad and Wales await the New Zealand team across the next four weekends but, beyond the possibility to match the teams of previous successful tours in the record books, the fixtures will be used as a benchmark to evaluate the improvement of the squad under a leader now two years on from taking up the reins. Current Challenges Doubts over a shortage of an clear playing identity, enduring debates over selection and exits from the management team have all contributed to the sense that the most famous squad in the game is currently one in a period of transition. Most significantly, it is the drop in performances from a previous peak set between the global tournaments of the last decade that has prompted some to speculate that we have evolved beyond of the period of All Black exceptionalism. Team Record Before their journey for the fall series, it was revealed that in the coming year, in the absence of the southern hemisphere competition, the All Blacks will face South Africa in a warm-weather tour called 'a tour like no other'. In the past the sport's top competitors, there is clear agreement over who has lately dominated of what marketers have described 'The Premier Rivalry'. Over the past seven years, the South African team have claimed a pair of global tournaments, three Rugby Championships and a series against the British and Irish Lions to be viewed as the squad of their era. New Zealand have persisted to overcome the Irish team when it counts most, beating this weekend's rivals in the World Cup quarter finals of 2019 and '23. They have, additionally, been defeated in just two of the past 21 meetings with the English team, have defeated the Welsh side in each game since over sixty years ago and have always been victorious by the Scottish team. Evolving Landscape But the decline of their position as the rugby's benchmark will continue to rankle. Although the New Zealand team excelled through the last ten years - achieving 87% of their fixtures, as well as winning the World Cup on two occasions - the global tournament of 2019 can now be viewed as when the balance of power shifted in the global game. New Zealand beat the Springboks in their opening match of the competition in Japan, but it was the Boks' who were eventually successful in the final. Since then, the All Blacks' success rate has dropped to 71%. South Africa themselves lost 10 of their following games but, commencing of last year, have achieved victory at a frequency (83%) to rival even the former Kiwi champions. The All Blacks will compete in several games against the Springboks in future seasons Direct Competition Throughout the same period, the South African team have won the majority of the past fixtures between the opponents, featuring triumph in the recent championship match. During their pursuit of their most recent regional title, Rassie Erasmus' side delivered a historic loss on the All Blacks through 36 unanswered second-half points in the capital, a result which has triggered another wave of discussion regarding the progress of the side under the coach. Possibly most troubling for supporters of the New Zealand team will be that, combined with their characteristic physicality, the Springboks' triumph has come with an creative approach more commonly connected with their own side. Team Identity At the time that the All Blacks were at the peak of their abilities 10 years ago, they were a devastating offensive machine capable of dismantling competitors from all areas of the playing surface and at all times of the game. Today, their offensive approach is more ambiguous as Robertson, who has given multiple new players during his 24 months in command, tries to first establish the more prosaic core elements of a winning team. It has recently revealed that the assistant coach responsible for attack, the current coach, will leave his role after the autumn tour, becoming the second member of the coaching staff to leave after Leon MacDonald departed last year after just limited matches. Expectations vs Reality It was not just his winning record, but his methodology, that was expected to transfer from Crusaders when he took over after the global competition but, to date, each remain a work in progress. The team leader was named international star in the previous season Organizational Strategy Following financial organization investors bought a stake in New Zealand rugby in recent years, the ensuing statement discussed the "search of worldwide growth" for the brand. That objective has perhaps been more difficult by the lack of a global icon. Ardie Savea and the group of related players continue to be recognizable personalities in the rugby, but the concentration of stars has expanded significantly. Their leader is the sole New Zealand player to receive global recognition in the past six seasons, in opposition to 10 in multiple seasons between the mid-2000s. International Growth Rather, initiatives have been undertaken to establish the New Zealand team into emerging regions. The opening phase of this 'Grand Slam' tour brings the All Blacks not to the Irish capital but the American city, a revisit to the location where Ireland secured a landmark success in the contest nine years ago. Following the reduction of pandemic limitations, the All Blacks have furthermore