🔗 Share this article

Seeking what would be just a fifth northern hemisphere clean sweep in their legendary past, the New Zealand side have headed north at an crucial period.

Games against the Irish team, the Scottish side, the English squad and the Welsh team await the All Blacks across the next four weekends but, quite aside from the possibility to join the sides of 1978, 2005, 2008 and 2010 in the annals of rugby, the fixtures will be used as a measure to evaluate the improvement of the squad under a leader now well established from assuming control.

Team Issues

Concerns over a absence of an identifiable style, continuing controversies over player choices and leavings from the backroom staff have all contributed to the feeling that the most recognisable team in the sport is presently one in a period of transition.

Most pertinently, it is the drop in results from a historic high watermark set between the global tournaments of the last decade that has led some to suggest that we have evolved beyond of the age of Kiwi superiority.

Team Record

Before their journey for the fall series, it was confirmed that in the coming year, in the absence of the southern hemisphere competition, New Zealand will face the Springboks in a summer series dubbed 'a tour like no other'.

Traditionally the game's two strongest sides, there is clear agreement over who has currently outperformed of what organizers have labeled 'Rugby's Greatest Rivalry'.

During the last decade, the Springboks have secured a pair of global tournaments, three southern hemisphere titles and a tour against the home nations team to be considered as the team of their period.

The All Blacks have continued to beat the Irish team when it is crucial, defeating this weekend's rivals in the World Cup quarter finals of recent years. They have, at the same time, lost just a pair of the last fixtures with the English team, have beaten Wales in each game since over sixty years ago and have always been victorious by Scotland.

Evolving Landscape

But the loss of their position as the sport's measure of excellence will continue to rankle.

Whereas the All Blacks excelled through the previous decade - achieving 87% of their Test matches, as well as lifting the World Cup on multiple times - the World Cup of the previous competition can now be regarded as when the competitive landscape shifted in the global game.

New Zealand overcame the Springboks in their first game of the competition in the host nation, but it was the South Africans who were eventually successful in the final.

From that point, the New Zealand's victory ratio has dropped to 71%. The Springboks themselves lost 10 of their subsequent fixtures but, from the beginning of 2023, have achieved victory at a percentage (83%) to match even the last great New Zealand team.

Direct Competition

Throughout the comparable duration, the Springboks have won five of the recent encounters between the teams, comprising success in the latest global tournament decider.

In claiming their most recent southern hemisphere crown, South Africa delivered a significant beating on the All Blacks courtesy of dominant performance in their home ground, a outcome which has triggered another wave of controversy concerning the development of the squad under the coach.

Maybe most troubling for fans of the All Blacks will be that, allied to their traditional strength, South Africa's achievement has come with an attacking verve more usually associated with their traditional rivals.

Style Evolution

During the period when the All Blacks were at the peak of their capabilities a decade past, they were a clinical transition team able of shredding rivals from all areas of the field and at all times of the game.

Now, their playing philosophy is unclear as their leader, who has awarded numerous first caps during his two years in charge, tries to first establish the more prosaic building blocks of a successful side.

It has recently revealed that the supporting manager overseeing offense, Jason Holland, will depart his position after the fall series, becoming the next individual of the coaching staff to depart after previous staff member left last year after just five Tests.

Team Development

It was not just his winning record, but his methodology, that was expected to carry over from his former team when he took over after the global competition but, as yet, the two aspects remain a continuous improvement.

Commercial Considerations

Following private equity firm investors acquired shares in All Blacks in recent years, the following communication spoke of the "search of new global opportunities" for the organization.

That task has possibly been harder by the absence of a global icon. Ardie Savea and the collection of Barrett brothers continue to be well-known figures in the sport, but the spread of talented players has expanded significantly. Savea is the single New Zealand player to receive global recognition in the current era, in comparison to 10 in multiple seasons between the mid-2000s.

International Growth

Alternatively, attempts have been made to introduce the New Zealand team into emerging regions.

The opening phase of this 'Grand Slam' tour brings the All Blacks not to Dublin but Chicago, a comeback to the location where the Irish team achieved a historic win in the contest during past tours.

Since the reduction of health protocols, the All Blacks have furthermore