🔗 Share this article

Pursuing what would be just a fifth tour victory in their legendary past, the All Blacks have traveled to Europe at an crucial period.

Games against the Irish team, the Scottish side, the English squad and the Welsh team await Scott Robertson's side across the coming month but, quite aside from the possibility to match the sides of 1978, 2005, 2008 and 2010 in the annals of rugby, the games will be used as a benchmark to measure the improvement of the team under a head coach now two years on from beginning his tenure.

Present Difficulties

Questions over a lack of an identifiable style, enduring debates over team picks and exits from the backroom staff have all fueled the sense that the most famous squad in the game is currently one in a time of change.

Most pertinently, it is the decline in results from a past excellence set between the World Cups of the last decade that has led some to suggest that we have transitioned away of the age of All Black exceptionalism.

Team Record

Prior to their travel for the fall series, it was announced that next year, in the absence of the southern hemisphere competition, the All Blacks will meet the Springboks in a summer series called 'a unique competition'.

Historically the game's two strongest sides, there is clear agreement over who has lately dominated of what promoters have called 'The Premier Rivalry'.

Over the past seven years, the South African team have secured a two of global tournaments, three southern hemisphere titles and a tour against the northern hemisphere selection to be regarded as the squad of their period.

The All Blacks have persisted to beat Ireland when it counts most, defeating this weekend's rivals in the tournament knockout stages of 2019 and '23. They have, meanwhile, been defeated in just two of the past 21 meetings with the English team, have defeated the Welsh side in all matches since 1963 and have always been victorious by the Scottish team.

Shifting Balance

But the decline of their standing as the game's gold standard will remain frustrating.

Whereas the New Zealand team dominated through the previous decade - achieving eighty-seven percent of their Test matches, as well as winning the World Cup on several instances - the World Cup of the previous competition can now be seen as when the hierarchical structure moved in the world sport.

New Zealand beat South Africa in their opening match of the competition in the host nation, but it was the South Africans who were finally victorious in Yokohama.

Since then, the New Zealand's success rate has fallen to 71%. South Africa themselves were defeated in ten of their subsequent fixtures but, from the beginning of last year, have achieved victory at a rate (83%) to match even the last great New Zealand team.

Direct Competition

Throughout the same period, the South African team have won the majority of the seven meetings between the opponents, featuring victory in the 2023 World Cup final.

During their pursuit of their latest regional title, South Africa administered a significant beating on the New Zealand team courtesy of dominant performance in the capital, a result which has ignited another round of controversy concerning the development of the team under the coach.

Perhaps most jarring for supporters of the All Blacks will be that, combined with their usual power, the Springboks' achievement has come with an creative approach more typically linked with their traditional rivals.

Team Identity

At the time that the New Zealand team were at the zenith of their capabilities 10 years ago, they were a ruthless counter-attacking unit able of destroying opponents from every section of the pitch and at any point of the match.

Today, their offensive approach is more ambiguous as Robertson, who has handed out 19 debuts during his 24 months in control, tries to first establish the basic foundations of a successful side.

It has recently revealed that the backroom staff member responsible for offense, Jason Holland, will leave his role after the autumn tour, becoming the additional person of Robertson's ticket to depart after another coach walked away last year after just five Tests.

Team Development

It was not merely Robertson's success, but his methodology, that was predicted to transfer from Crusaders when he took over after the 2023 World Cup but, as yet, the two aspects are still a work in progress.

Commercial Considerations

Following private equity firm the company bought a stake in All Blacks in recent years, the ensuing statement mentioned the "quest of international expansion" for the organization.

That objective has possibly been more challenging by the absence of a global icon. Their key player and the collection of related players are still recognizable personalities in the sport, but the spread of stars has become more diverse. Their leader is the single New Zealand player to earn World Player of the Year in the past six seasons, in comparison to 10 in multiple seasons between previous generations.

Worldwide Reach

Rather, initiatives have been made to transplant the New Zealand team into emerging regions.

The opening phase 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 the Irish team obtained a first ever victory in the match during past tours.

Since the relaxation of health protocols, the All Blacks have additionally