🔗 Share this article Will the All Blacks regain their spark during the fall tour? The New Zealand team have secured victory in 71% of their fixtures during the current decade Pursuing what would be just a fifth northern hemisphere clean sweep in their legendary past, the All Blacks have embarked on their tour at an crucial period. Fixtures against Ireland, the Scottish side, England and Wales await the All Blacks across the coming month but, quite aside from the opportunity to match the squads of previous successful tours in the record books, the fixtures will be used as a measure to assess the improvement of the team under a leader now 24 months into from beginning his tenure. Team Issues Concerns over a shortage of an clear playing identity, enduring debates over team picks and leavings from the backroom staff have all fueled the feeling that the best-known side in the game is currently one in a time of change. Most significantly, it is the drop in performances from a historic high watermark set between the World Cups of 2011 and 2019 that has led some to speculate that we have transitioned away of the age of New Zealand dominance. Past Performance Ahead of their departure for the fall series, it was revealed that in the coming year, in the absence of the Rugby Championship, New Zealand will play South Africa in a summer series called 'an unprecedented series'. Traditionally the sport's top competitors, there is clear agreement over who has recently got the better of what promoters have called 'The Premier Rivalry'. During the last decade, the South African team have secured a pair of global tournaments, three southern hemisphere titles and a series against the northern hemisphere selection to be viewed as the team of their era. The All Blacks have persisted to overcome Ireland when it is crucial, defeating this weekend's rivals in the global competition of the past two tournaments. They have, meanwhile, been defeated in just a pair of the last fixtures with the English team, have defeated the Welsh side in every encounter since over sixty years ago and have always been victorious by the Scottish team. Shifting Balance But the diminishment of their status as the game's gold standard will persist as an irritation. Although the All Blacks excelled through the 2010s - achieving 87% of their Test matches, as well as lifting the global trophy on multiple times - the global tournament of 2019 can now be seen as when the hierarchical structure changed in the global game. New Zealand overcame South Africa in their first game of the tournament in Japan, but it was the Boks' who were finally victorious in the final. From that point, the All Blacks' success rate has declined to 71%. South Africa themselves were defeated in ten of their following games but, commencing of 2023, have achieved victory at a percentage (eighty-three percent) to compete with even the previous All Blacks side. The New Zealand team will compete in four Tests against the Springboks in future seasons Head-to-Head Over the equivalent timeframe, the 'Boks have won five of the past fixtures between the sides, including success in the 2023 World Cup final. In claiming their latest regional title, South Africa delivered a record 43-10 defeat on the New Zealand team through overwhelming display in the capital, a outcome which has sparked another round of controversy concerning the development of the side under Robertson. Possibly most troubling for fans of the All Blacks will be that, allied to their traditional strength, South Africa's triumph has come with an attacking verve more commonly connected with their opposition team. Team Identity During the period when the All Blacks were at the zenith of their powers in previous eras, they were a devastating offensive machine equipped of destroying opponents from any part of the pitch and at any moment of the game. Currently, their playing philosophy is less defined as their leader, who has handed out 19 debuts during his recent tenure in control, tries to first establish the more prosaic building blocks of a competitive squad. It has recently revealed that the assistant coach in charge of scoring, their offensive coordinator, will exit the team after the autumn tour, making him the next individual of management team to exit after Leon MacDonald departed last year after just limited matches. Performance Gap It was not just Robertson's success, but his approach, that was expected to transfer from Crusaders when he took over after the 2023 World Cup but, so far, the two aspects remain a continuous improvement. The team leader was awarded international star in the previous season Commercial Considerations When financial organization the company acquired shares in New Zealand rugby in 2022, the ensuing statement mentioned the "quest of worldwide growth" for the organization. That objective has perhaps been harder by the absence of a international celebrity. The current captain and the collection of Barrett brothers continue to be household names in the game, but the spread of stars has never been spread wider. Their leader is the sole New Zealand player to earn World Player of the Year in the recent years, in opposition to 10 in 13 years between previous generations. Worldwide Reach Alternatively, initiatives have been implemented to transplant the New Zealand team into new territories. The first leg of this 'Grand Slam' tour brings New Zealand not to the Irish capital but the American city, a revisit to the Soldier Field venue where Ireland secured a first ever victory in the match nine years ago. Following the reduction of Covid-19 travel restrictions, the All Blacks have additionally