🔗 Share this article

Pursuing what would be just a fifth northern hemisphere clean sweep in their storied history, the All Blacks have headed north at an interesting juncture.

Matches against the Irish team, Scotland, England and Wales await the All Blacks across the next four weekends but, in addition to the chance to match the squads of previous successful tours in the annals of rugby, the matches will be used as a benchmark to evaluate the improvement of the side under a manager now two years on from beginning his tenure.

Team Issues

Questions over a lack of an distinctive approach, continuing controversies over player choices and leavings from the backroom staff have all added to the feeling that the most famous squad in the sport is currently one in a time of change.

Most pertinently, it is the decline in outcomes from a previous peak set between the global tournaments of 2011 and 2019 that has prompted some to suggest that we have transitioned away of the era of New Zealand dominance.

Team Record

Before their travel for the fall series, it was revealed that next year, in the non-existence of the southern hemisphere competition, the All Blacks will play the Springboks in a summer series dubbed 'a unique competition'.

Traditionally the rugby's premier teams, there is clear agreement over who has recently got the better of what organizers have called 'Rugby's Greatest Rivalry'.

During the last decade, the Springboks have secured a couple of World Cups, three Rugby Championships and a series against the British and Irish Lions to be considered as the side of their era.

New Zealand have continued to beat the Irish team when it matters most, beating their next challengers in the global competition of the past two tournaments. They have, at the same time, lost just two of the last fixtures with England, have defeated Wales in each game since 1963 and have always been victorious by Scotland.

Shifting Balance

But the loss of their status as the sport's measure of excellence will remain frustrating.

While the All Blacks dominated through the 2010s - winning eighty-seven percent of their Test matches, as well as claiming the Webb Ellis on two occasions - the global tournament of 2019 can now be seen as when the competitive landscape changed in the global game.

New Zealand defeated South Africa in their opening match of the competition in Japan, but it was the Boks' who were eventually successful in the championship match.

After that event, the All Blacks' winning percentage has fallen to 71%. The Springboks themselves lost ten of their subsequent fixtures but, from the beginning of last year, have achieved victory at a percentage (83%) to compete with even the former Kiwi champions.

Recent Encounters

Throughout the equivalent timeframe, the Springboks have secured victory in five of the past fixtures between the teams, featuring success in the recent championship match.

During their pursuit of their current continental championship, South Africa delivered a historic loss on the All Blacks courtesy of overwhelming display in the capital, a result which has sparked another wave of debate regarding the progress of the team under Robertson.

Maybe most jarring for followers of the All Blacks will be that, alongside their traditional strength, the Springboks' achievement has come with an creative approach more typically linked with their opposition team.

Playing Philosophy

During the period when the All Blacks were at the zenith of their powers a decade past, they were a devastating offensive machine capable of shredding opponents from any part of the field and at any point of the match.

Currently, their playing philosophy is more ambiguous as Robertson, who has handed out numerous first caps during his recent tenure in charge, tries to primarily create the fundamental core elements of a competitive squad.

It has previously announced that the supporting manager responsible for attack, their offensive coordinator, will depart his position after the fall series, becoming the additional person of Robertson's ticket to leave after Leon MacDonald walked away last year after just limited matches.

Performance Gap

It was not just Robertson's success, but his approach, that was anticipated to carry over from Crusaders when he assumed control after the recent tournament but, as yet, both remain a ongoing development.

Organizational Strategy

After investment group the company acquired shares in All Blacks in 2022, the following communication discussed the "quest of worldwide growth" for the brand.

That task has maybe been harder by the lack of a global icon. Their key player and the group of related players remain household names in the rugby, but the spread of stars has expanded significantly. Savea is the only All Black to receive World Player of the Year in the recent years, in opposition to 10 in multiple seasons between the mid-2000s.

International Growth

Rather, efforts have been undertaken to transplant the All Blacks into previously untapped markets.

The initial stage of this European campaign brings New Zealand not to the Irish capital but the American city, a comeback to the location where Ireland achieved a first ever victory in the match during past tours.

After the reduction of Covid-19 travel restrictions, the All Blacks have furthermore