🔗 Share this article Can the New Zealand rugby team rediscover their spark this autumn? The New Zealand team have secured victory in 71% of their fixtures during the 2020s 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 interesting juncture. Matches against Ireland, Scotland, England and Wales await the All Blacks across the next four weekends but, beyond the opportunity to equal the teams of 1978, 2005, 2008 and 2010 in the annals of rugby, the games will be used as a measure to evaluate the progress of the team under a leader now 24 months into from taking up the reins. Present Difficulties Questions over a lack of an distinctive approach, continuing controversies over selection and departures from the backroom staff have all fueled the sense that the most recognisable team in the sport is presently one in a time of change. Most pertinently, it is the drop in outcomes from a past excellence set between the global tournaments of 2011 and 2019 that has led some to speculate that we have moved out of the era of Kiwi superiority. Past Performance Prior to their journey for the northern hemisphere, it was revealed that next year, in the non-existence of the southern hemisphere competition, the All Blacks will play South Africa in a off-season matches dubbed 'a tour like no other'. Historically the sport's top competitors, there is no question over who has lately dominated of what organizers have labeled 'The Ultimate Contest'. Over the past seven years, the South African team have claimed a couple of World Cups, three southern hemisphere titles and a tour against the home nations team to be considered as the squad of their generation. The All Blacks have continued to defeat Ireland when it counts most, defeating their next challengers in the World Cup quarter finals of recent years. They have, at the same time, lost just a pair of the past 21 meetings with the English team, have overcome the Welsh side in all matches since 1963 and have always been victorious by Scotland. Changing Dynamics But the decline of their status as the sport's measure of excellence will continue to rankle. Although the New Zealand team dominated through the 2010s - securing 87% of their fixtures, as well as claiming the World Cup on two occasions - the global tournament of the previous competition can now be seen as when the balance of power moved in the international rugby. The All Blacks beat the Springboks in their initial fixture of the tournament in Japan, but it was the Boks' who were ultimately triumphant in the final. Since then, the New Zealand's winning percentage has declined to seventy-one percent. The Springboks themselves lost ten of their following games but, from the beginning of last year, have won at a rate (83%) to match even the previous All Blacks side. The New Zealand team will compete in several games against the Springboks in future seasons Recent Encounters Over the same period, the Springboks have secured victory in five of the seven meetings between the sides, comprising victory in the recent championship match. In claiming their latest regional title, South Africa administered a historic loss on the All Blacks through overwhelming display in the capital, a score which has ignited another round of discussion concerning the direction of the team under Robertson. Maybe most troubling for followers of the New Zealand team will be that, allied to their usual power, South Africa's triumph has come with an attacking verve more commonly connected with their traditional rivals. Team Identity During the period when the All Blacks were at the zenith of their powers 10 years ago, they were a ruthless counter-attacking unit capable of shredding opponents from any part of the field and at all times of the contest. Currently, their playing philosophy is more ambiguous as the coach, who has awarded 19 debuts during his 24 months in control, tries to primarily create the more prosaic foundations of a successful side. It has already been confirmed that the assistant coach responsible for offense, Jason Holland, will depart his position after the autumn tour, making him the additional person of Robertson's ticket to depart after Leon MacDonald departed last year after just limited matches. Expectations vs Reality It was not just previous achievements, but his approach, that was expected to transfer from his former team when he took over after the 2023 World Cup but, as yet, each remain a ongoing development. The star player was named global player of the year in 2023 Organizational Strategy After investment group the company bought a stake in New Zealand rugby in the past, the subsequent announcement discussed the "pursuit of worldwide growth" for the brand. That task has perhaps been more difficult by the lack of a international celebrity. Their key player and the trio of family members are still well-known figures in the sport, but the spread of key individuals has become more diverse. Their leader is the only All Black to earn global recognition in the current era, in comparison to ten awards in multiple seasons between the mid-2000s. International Growth Alternatively, attempts have been made to transplant the New Zealand team into new territories. The opening phase of this 'Grand Slam' tour brings the All Blacks not to the Irish capital but the American city, a comeback to the Soldier Field venue where Ireland obtained a landmark success in the match during past tours. Following the reduction of pandemic limitations, the New Zealand team have furthermore