🔗 Share this article Will the All Blacks find their magic during the fall tour? The New Zealand team have secured victory in seventy-one percent of their fixtures during the current decade Pursuing what would be just a fifth northern hemisphere clean sweep in their storied history, the New Zealand side have embarked on their tour at an pivotal moment. Games against the Irish team, the Scottish side, England and Wales await the All Blacks across the upcoming weeks but, beyond the chance to join the squads of previous successful tours in the annals of rugby, the fixtures will be used as a yardstick to measure the improvement of the squad under a leader now two years on from assuming control. Team Issues Questions over a shortage of an distinctive approach, ongoing discussions over player choices and leavings from the backroom staff have all contributed to the feeling that the best-known side in the game is presently one in a time of change. Most significantly, it is the dip in outcomes from a previous peak set between the World Cups of 2011 and 2019 that has led some to suggest that we have transitioned away of the age of All Black exceptionalism. Team Record Prior to their travel for the northern hemisphere, it was revealed that next year, in the absence of the Rugby Championship, New Zealand will meet South Africa in a summer series termed 'a unique competition'. Traditionally the rugby's premier teams, there is clear agreement over who has lately dominated of what marketers have called 'The Premier Rivalry'. During the last decade, the Springboks have claimed a two of World Cups, three southern hemisphere titles and a tour against the home nations team to be considered as the side of their generation. The All Blacks have continued to overcome Ireland when it is crucial, overcoming their next challengers in the World Cup quarter finals of recent years. They have, at the same time, been defeated in just a pair of the past 21 meetings with the English team, have overcome Wales in each game since 1963 and have never suffered defeat by the Scottish team. Evolving Landscape But the loss of their status as the game's gold standard will continue to rankle. Although the New Zealand team reigned supreme through the previous decade - winning eighty-seven percent of their fixtures, as well as claiming the Webb Ellis on several instances - the global tournament of 2019 can now be viewed as when the hierarchical structure shifted in the world sport. New Zealand defeated South Africa in their first game of the championship in the host nation, but it was the Boks' who were ultimately triumphant in the championship match. From that point, the All Blacks' success rate has declined to seventy-one percent. South Africa themselves were defeated in ten of their subsequent fixtures but, commencing of 2023, have won at a rate (eighty-three percent) to match even the last great New Zealand team. The All Blacks will play multiple matches against the Springboks in future seasons Recent Encounters During the comparable duration, the South African team have won the majority of the recent encounters between the sides, including victory in the recent championship match. While securing their current regional title, the Springboks administered a significant beating on the All Blacks through 36 unanswered second-half points in Wellington, a score which has triggered another wave of discussion regarding the progress of the squad under the coach. Possibly most troubling for fans of the New Zealand team will be that, allied to their characteristic physicality, the Springboks' achievement has come with an offensive flair more typically linked with their opposition team. Playing Philosophy During the period when the New Zealand team were at the height of their capabilities in previous eras, they were a clinical transition team capable of shredding competitors from all areas of the pitch and at any point of the match. Currently, their attacking style is unclear as Robertson, who has given multiple new players during his recent tenure in charge, tries to first establish the basic foundations of a competitive squad. It has previously announced that the assistant coach responsible for attack, their offensive coordinator, will depart his position after the upcoming matches, making him the next individual of the coaching staff to leave after Leon MacDonald departed last year after just limited matches. Performance Gap It was not merely Robertson's success, but his methodology, that was anticipated to translate from Crusaders when he began his tenure after the 2023 World Cup but, as yet, the two aspects remain a continuous improvement. Ardie Savea was named World Rugby Player of the Year in the previous season Business Factors When investment group the company acquired shares in New Zealand rugby in the past, the ensuing statement spoke of the "pursuit of international expansion" for the brand. That goal has possibly been more challenging by the absence of a global icon. Ardie Savea and the group of Barrett brothers continue to be recognizable personalities in the rugby, but the concentration of talented players has never been spread wider. The captain is the only New Zealand player to earn international honors in the recent years, in contrast to ten awards in multiple seasons between the mid-2000s. Global Expansion Instead, efforts have been made to establish the All Blacks into new territories. The initial stage of this 'Grand Slam' tour brings the All Blacks not to Dublin but Chicago, a return to the location where the Irish team achieved a landmark success in the fixture nine years ago. Following the relaxation of pandemic limitations, the New Zealand team have furthermore