🔗 Share this article Will the All Blacks find their winning form this autumn? The All Blacks have secured victory in seventy-one percent of their games during the 2020s Aiming for what would be just a fifth tour victory in their illustrious legacy, the All Blacks have headed north at an crucial period. Fixtures against Ireland, the Scottish side, the English squad and Wales await the All Blacks across the upcoming weeks but, quite aside from the possibility to join the sides of previous successful tours in the record books, the matches will be used as a yardstick to measure the progress of the squad under a manager now 24 months into from assuming control. Present Difficulties Doubts over a shortage of an identifiable style, enduring debates over selection and departures from the coaching ticket have all added to the feeling that the most recognisable team in the sport is now one in a period of transition. Most importantly, it is the drop in performances from a previous peak set between the World Cups of 2011 and 2019 that has prompted some to suggest that we have evolved beyond of the period of New Zealand dominance. Team Record Prior to their journey for the European tour, it was confirmed that next year, in the non-existence of the Rugby Championship, the All Blacks will face South Africa in a off-season matches termed 'an unprecedented series'. Historically the game's two strongest sides, there is clear agreement over who has currently outperformed of what promoters have described 'Rugby's Greatest Rivalry'. In recent seasons, the Springboks have secured a couple of global tournaments, three southern hemisphere titles and a tour against the British and Irish Lions to be regarded as the team of their period. The All Blacks have persisted to beat Ireland when it counts most, defeating their next challengers in the World Cup quarter finals of the past two tournaments. They have, at the same time, lost just a pair of the recent encounters with the English team, have beaten Wales in every encounter since the sixties and have always been victorious by the Scottish team. Changing Dynamics But the decline of their status as the sport's measure of excellence will persist as an irritation. Whereas the All Blacks excelled through the last ten years - securing 87% of their Test matches, as well as claiming the World Cup on multiple times - the World Cup of 2019 can now be regarded as when the hierarchical structure changed in the world sport. New Zealand defeated South Africa in their first game of the championship in the host nation, but it was the South Africans who were eventually successful in Yokohama. Since then, the All Blacks' winning percentage has declined to seventy-one percent. South Africa themselves lost ten of their next 26 Test matches but, from the beginning of last year, have won at a frequency (83%) to match even the last great New Zealand team. The All Blacks will compete in several games against the Springboks in the coming years Head-to-Head During the same period, the South African team have secured victory in five of the recent encounters between the opponents, comprising triumph in the latest global tournament decider. In claiming their current regional title, Rassie Erasmus' side inflicted a significant beating on the New Zealand team courtesy of 36 unanswered second-half points in Wellington, a score which has sparked another series of controversy regarding the progress of the side under the coach. Perhaps most troubling for followers of the All Blacks will be that, allied to their characteristic physicality, the Springboks' success has come with an offensive flair more typically linked with their opposition team. Style Evolution When the New Zealand team were at the peak of their abilities 10 years ago, they were a clinical transition team capable of shredding competitors from any part of the field and at any point of the contest. Now, their playing philosophy is more ambiguous as their leader, who has awarded numerous first caps during his recent tenure in charge, tries to initially build the more prosaic core elements 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 upcoming matches, making him the additional person of management team to depart after another coach walked away last year after just limited matches. Performance Gap It was not just his winning record, but his style, that was anticipated to translate from Crusaders when he began his tenure after the global competition but, as yet, both continue to be a work in progress. The star player was awarded global player of the year in 2023 Business Factors When private equity firm investors invested capital in New Zealand rugby in 2022, the ensuing statement mentioned the "pursuit of international expansion" for the brand. That task has possibly been more difficult by the shortage of a global icon. Their key player and the group of related players remain recognizable personalities in the game, but the distribution of stars has never been spread wider. Savea is the single New Zealand player to win international honors in the past six seasons, in comparison to 10 in over a decade between the mid-2000s. Worldwide Reach Instead, initiatives have been undertaken to transplant the New Zealand team into emerging regions. The first leg of this 'Grand Slam' tour brings New Zealand not to the Irish capital but Chicago, a return to the Soldier Field venue where the Irish team obtained a landmark success in the contest during past tours. Since the relaxation of pandemic limitations, the All Blacks have furthermore