🔗 Share this article

Seeking what would be just a fifth northern hemisphere clean sweep in their storied history, the All Blacks have embarked on their tour at an pivotal moment.

Games against the Irish team, Scotland, England and the Welsh team await Scott Robertson's side across the next four weekends but, quite aside from the possibility to equal the teams of 1978, 2005, 2008 and 2010 in the record books, the fixtures will be used as a measure to assess the development of the team under a head coach now 24 months into from assuming control.

Present Difficulties

Questions over a absence of an distinctive approach, enduring debates over player choices and exits from the management team have all fueled the feeling that the most recognisable team in the game is currently one in a period of transition.

Most pertinently, it is the dip in results from a historic high watermark set between the World Cups of 2011 and 2019 that has led some to theorize that we have evolved beyond of the age of All Black exceptionalism.

Team Record

Ahead of their journey for the European tour, it was announced that in the coming year, in the lack of the southern hemisphere competition, New Zealand will face the Springboks in a off-season matches called 'a unique competition'.

Historically the sport's top competitors, there is no question over who has currently outperformed of what promoters have called 'The Ultimate Contest'.

In recent seasons, the South African team have won a couple of World Cups, three southern hemisphere titles and a tour against the British and Irish Lions to be regarded as the side of their period.

New Zealand have continued to overcome Ireland when it counts most, overcoming their next challengers in the global competition of recent years. They have, meanwhile, lost just a couple of the recent encounters with the English team, have overcome the Welsh side in all matches since over sixty years ago and have always been victorious by Scotland.

Shifting Balance

But the loss of their position as the game's gold standard will persist as an irritation.

Although the All Blacks reigned supreme through the last ten years - winning 87% of their Test matches, as well as claiming the global trophy on several instances - the World Cup of the previous competition can now be regarded as when the balance of power changed in the world sport.

The All Blacks overcame South Africa in their first game of the championship in Japan, but it was the Boks' who were finally victorious in the final.

After that event, the New Zealand's winning percentage has declined to 71%. The Springboks themselves lost ten of their following games but, since the start of last year, have won at a percentage (83%) to match even the last great New Zealand team.

Head-to-Head

Throughout the comparable duration, the 'Boks have secured victory in the majority of the seven meetings between the sides, including success in the 2023 World Cup final.

In claiming their latest continental championship, South Africa inflicted a significant beating on the New Zealand team through dominant performance in the capital, a outcome which has sparked another series of discussion concerning the development of the team under Robertson.

Perhaps most troubling for fans of the All Blacks will be that, alongside their traditional strength, South Africa's triumph has come with an creative approach more usually associated with their opposition team.

Style Evolution

At the time that the New Zealand team were at the height of their abilities a decade past, they were a ruthless counter-attacking unit equipped of dismantling competitors from every section of the playing surface and at any moment of the match.

Currently, their playing philosophy is less defined as the coach, who has given 19 debuts during his 24 months in charge, tries to first establish the more prosaic foundations of a competitive squad.

It has already been confirmed that the backroom staff member responsible for attack, the current coach, will leave his role after the autumn tour, making him the next individual of Robertson's ticket to leave after Leon MacDonald left last year after just five Tests.

Expectations vs Reality

It was not just previous achievements, but his approach, that was expected to carry over from Crusaders when he assumed control after the recent tournament but, to date, the two aspects continue to be a continuous improvement.

Commercial Considerations

After private equity firm investors bought a stake in All Blacks in recent years, the ensuing statement spoke of the "quest of worldwide growth" for the organization.

That goal has possibly been harder by the lack of a crossover star. Ardie Savea and the group of family members continue to be recognizable personalities in the sport, but the concentration of stars has expanded significantly. The captain is the single All Black to earn global recognition in the past six seasons, in comparison to 10 in over a decade between previous generations.

Global Expansion

Instead, efforts have been implemented to establish the New Zealand team into previously untapped markets.

The first leg of this 'Grand Slam' tour brings New Zealand not to the Irish capital but Chicago, a revisit to the Soldier Field venue where Ireland achieved a landmark success in the fixture nine years ago.

Since the easing of Covid-19 travel restrictions, the All Blacks have furthermore