🔗 Share this article Can the New Zealand rugby team rediscover their spark during the fall tour? The All Blacks have won 71% of their games during the current decade Aiming for what would be just a fifth northern hemisphere clean sweep in their illustrious legacy, the All Blacks have headed north at an pivotal moment. Fixtures against the Irish team, the Scottish side, the English squad and the Welsh team await the All Blacks across the next four weekends but, beyond the opportunity to equal the sides of 1978, 2005, 2008 and 2010 in the annals of rugby, the games will be used as a yardstick to measure the progress of the squad under a leader now 24 months into from assuming control. Current Challenges Concerns over a absence of an clear playing identity, enduring debates over team picks and leavings from the coaching ticket have all added to the sense that the most famous squad in the rugby is currently one in a state of flux. Most significantly, it is the drop in outcomes from a previous peak set between the World Cups of 2011 and 2019 that has caused some to theorize that we have moved out of the period of New Zealand dominance. Past Performance Before their travel for the European tour, it was revealed that next year, in the lack of the Rugby Championship, the All Blacks will meet the Springboks in a off-season matches dubbed 'a tour like no other'. Traditionally the game's two strongest sides, there is clear agreement over who has lately dominated of what promoters have described 'Rugby's Greatest Rivalry'. In recent seasons, the Springboks have claimed a pair of global tournaments, three southern hemisphere titles and a tour against the British and Irish Lions to be regarded as the squad of their era. New Zealand have persisted to beat Ireland when it matters most, beating Saturday's opponents in the global competition of 2019 and '23. They have, meanwhile, lost just a couple of the last fixtures with the English team, have defeated Wales in all matches since 1963 and have remained unbeaten by Scotland. Changing Dynamics But the decline of their status as the game's gold standard will continue to rankle. Whereas the New Zealand team dominated through the previous decade - winning 87% of their fixtures, as well as claiming the global trophy on two occasions - the global tournament of the previous competition can now be regarded as when the hierarchical structure changed in the global game. The All Blacks beat South Africa in their initial fixture of the competition in Japan, but it was the South Africans who were eventually successful in the championship match. Since then, the All Blacks' success rate has fallen to 71%. The Springboks themselves lost 10 of their next 26 Test matches but, commencing of 2023, have won at a percentage (83%) to compete with even the last great New Zealand team. The All Blacks will compete in four Tests against the Springboks in 2026 Head-to-Head During the equivalent timeframe, the South African team have secured victory in five of the past fixtures between the sides, featuring victory in the 2023 World Cup final. While securing their latest regional title, the Springboks administered a record 43-10 defeat on the New Zealand team thanks to 36 unanswered second-half points in the capital, a outcome which has triggered another wave of discussion regarding the progress of the squad under Robertson. Possibly most concerning for supporters of the New Zealand team will be that, alongside their usual power, South Africa's triumph has come with an creative approach more usually associated with their opposition team. Playing Philosophy When the All Blacks were at the height of their powers in previous eras, they were a devastating offensive machine equipped of dismantling competitors from every section of the pitch and at any point of the match. Now, their playing philosophy is unclear as the coach, who has given numerous first caps during his recent tenure in command, tries to primarily create the more prosaic foundations of a successful side. It has already been confirmed that the backroom staff member in charge of attack, the current coach, will leave his role after the fall series, making him the second member of management team to leave after previous staff member departed last year after just a handful of games. Performance Gap It was not merely Robertson's success, but his methodology, that was predicted to translate from previous club when he began his tenure after the 2023 World Cup but, to date, both are still a work in progress. Ardie Savea was named World Rugby Player of the Year in 2023 Commercial Considerations When investment group the company bought a stake in New Zealand rugby in recent years, the following communication spoke of the "quest of new global opportunities" for the brand. That goal has perhaps been harder by the shortage of a crossover star. Their key player and the collection of Barrett brothers are still household names in the sport, but the concentration of key individuals has become more diverse. Their leader is the sole New Zealand player to earn World Player of the Year in the past six seasons, in opposition to ten awards in over a decade between the mid-2000s. Global Expansion Alternatively, efforts have been implemented to establish the All Blacks into emerging regions. The opening phase of this European campaign brings New Zealand not to Dublin but Chicago, a revisit to the Soldier Field venue where the Irish team achieved a first ever victory in the fixture nine years ago. Since the reduction of health protocols, the All Blacks have additionally