🔗 Share this article

Aiming for what would be just a fifth northern hemisphere clean sweep in their legendary past, the New Zealand side have headed north at an pivotal moment.

Games against Ireland, Scotland, England and the Welsh team await the New Zealand team across the next four weekends but, quite aside from the chance to equal the squads of previous successful tours in the annals of rugby, the matches will be used as a benchmark to measure the progress of the side under a head coach now two years on from assuming control.

Present Difficulties

Questions over a lack of an distinctive approach, enduring debates over player choices and departures from the coaching ticket have all contributed to the feeling that the most famous squad in the game is currently one in a period of transition.

Most importantly, it is the drop in performances from a past excellence set between the World Cups of the last decade that has led some to speculate that we have moved out of the age of All Black exceptionalism.

Recent History

Ahead of their journey for the fall series, it was revealed that in the coming year, in the lack of the Rugby Championship, the All Blacks will meet South Africa in a summer series called 'an unprecedented series'.

Traditionally the sport's top competitors, there is clear agreement over who has recently got the better of what marketers have called 'The Ultimate Contest'.

During the last decade, the Springboks have claimed a couple of World Cups, three Rugby Championships and a tour against the home nations team to be viewed as the team of their generation.

The All Blacks have continued to defeat Ireland when it is crucial, defeating this weekend's rivals in the World Cup quarter finals of 2019 and '23. They have, additionally, lost just a pair of the recent encounters with England, have overcome Wales in every encounter since 1963 and have never suffered defeat by Scotland.

Evolving Landscape

But the loss of their position as the sport's measure of excellence will continue to rankle.

Although the New Zealand team dominated through the previous decade - securing 87% of their fixtures, as well as lifting the World Cup on two occasions - the World Cup of 2019 can now be regarded as when the competitive landscape changed in the global game.

New Zealand beat the Springboks in their first game of the competition in Japan, but it was the South Africans who were eventually successful in the final.

Since then, the New Zealand's success rate has declined to 71%. The Springboks themselves lost 10 of their following games but, from the beginning of last year, have won at a percentage (83%) to compete with even the former Kiwi champions.

Head-to-Head

During the equivalent timeframe, the South African team have secured victory in five of the past fixtures between the teams, including success in the latest global tournament decider.

In claiming their most recent continental championship, Rassie Erasmus' side delivered a record 43-10 defeat on the All Blacks through overwhelming display in the capital, a score which has ignited another wave of controversy concerning the direction of the squad under the coach.

Possibly most jarring for fans of the New Zealand team will be that, alongside their traditional strength, South Africa's success has come with an attacking verve more usually associated with their own side.

Team Identity

When the New Zealand team were at the peak of their powers in previous eras, they were a ruthless counter-attacking unit equipped of shredding rivals from any part of the playing surface and at any point of the contest.

Today, their playing philosophy is less defined as the coach, who has handed out multiple new players during his recent tenure in charge, tries to primarily create the more prosaic building blocks of a winning team.

It has recently revealed that the supporting manager responsible for attack, their offensive coordinator, will exit the team after the upcoming matches, making him the second member of management team to leave after previous staff member left last year after just limited matches.

Team Development

It was not only previous achievements, but his approach, that was expected to transfer from Crusaders when he began his tenure after the 2023 World Cup but, to date, the two aspects are still a work in progress.

Organizational Strategy

When financial organization the company acquired shares in All Blacks in recent years, the following communication mentioned the "quest of worldwide growth" for the brand.

That goal has maybe been more difficult by the absence of a crossover star. Their key player and the trio of Barrett brothers are still well-known figures in the game, but the spread of stars has expanded significantly. The captain is the single New Zealand player to receive World Player of the Year in the current era, in contrast to ten awards in 13 years between previous generations.

Worldwide Reach

Alternatively, efforts have been made to transplant the New Zealand team into emerging regions.

The initial stage of this northern hemisphere series brings the All Blacks not to the Irish capital but the American city, a comeback to the Soldier Field venue where Ireland secured a landmark success in the fixture in previous seasons.

Following the reduction of pandemic limitations, the New Zealand team have additionally