Can the All Blacks regain their winning form this autumn?

Pursuing what would be just a fifth northern hemisphere clean sweep in their legendary past, the New Zealand side have headed north at an interesting juncture.

Matches against the Irish team, Scotland, the English squad and the Welsh team await the New Zealand team across the upcoming weeks but, in addition to the opportunity to match the sides of previous successful tours in the history books, the matches will be used as a yardstick to measure the progress of the team under a manager now 24 months into from beginning his tenure.

Present Difficulties

Concerns over a shortage of an clear playing identity, ongoing discussions over selection and exits from the coaching ticket have all added to the perception that the most famous squad in the rugby is currently one in a state of flux.

Most significantly, it is the drop in results from a previous peak set between the global tournaments of the last decade that has prompted some to speculate that we have transitioned away of the era of All Black exceptionalism.

Recent History

Prior to their journey for the northern hemisphere, it was revealed that during the following season, in the absence of the Rugby Championship, New Zealand will play the Springboks in a warm-weather tour called 'a tour like no other'.

Historically the game's two strongest sides, there is clear agreement over who has recently got the better of what promoters have described 'The Ultimate Contest'.

In recent seasons, the South African team have claimed a couple of global tournaments, three southern hemisphere titles and a series against the northern hemisphere selection to be regarded as the side of their era.

The All Blacks have continued to defeat Ireland when it matters most, defeating this weekend's rivals in the tournament knockout stages of the past two tournaments. They have, meanwhile, been defeated in just a couple of the past 21 meetings with the English team, have beaten Wales in each game since the sixties and have always been victorious by the Scottish team.

Shifting Balance

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

Although the All Blacks dominated through the 2010s - achieving eighty-seven percent of their Test matches, as well as claiming the World Cup on several instances - the World Cup of the previous competition can now be seen as when the competitive landscape shifted in the international rugby.

The All Blacks overcame the Springboks in their opening match of the competition in the host nation, but it was the South Africans who were eventually successful in Yokohama.

Since then, the New Zealand's winning percentage has dropped to 71%. South Africa themselves lost 10 of their following games but, from the beginning of 2023, have won at a percentage (83%) to compete with even the last great New Zealand team.

Recent Encounters

During the comparable duration, the 'Boks have secured victory in five of the seven meetings between the sides, featuring success in the 2023 World Cup final.

In claiming their most recent southern hemisphere crown, Rassie Erasmus' side delivered a historic loss on the All Blacks courtesy of dominant performance in the capital, a outcome which has triggered another wave of controversy about the development of the team under Robertson.

Possibly most concerning for supporters of the All Blacks will be that, alongside their characteristic physicality, South Africa's achievement has come with an attacking verve more typically linked with their opposition team.

Team Identity

At the time that the New Zealand team were at the zenith of their capabilities in previous eras, they were a devastating offensive machine equipped of dismantling competitors from any part of the pitch and at all times of the game.

Today, their attacking style is unclear as Robertson, who has handed out multiple new players during his recent tenure in charge, tries to initially build the basic core elements of a competitive squad.

It has already been confirmed that the assistant coach in charge of offense, their offensive coordinator, will exit the team after the fall series, becoming the next individual of Robertson's ticket to leave after another coach walked away last year after just five Tests.

Expectations vs Reality

It was not merely his winning record, but his approach, that was expected to transfer from previous club when he began his tenure after the global competition but, as yet, both continue to be a work in progress.

Commercial Considerations

Following investment group the company bought a stake in All Blacks in 2022, the subsequent announcement mentioned the "pursuit of international expansion" for the brand.

That task has possibly been more challenging by the lack of a international celebrity. The current captain and the trio of related players continue to be household names in the rugby, but the distribution of talented players has never been spread wider. Savea is the sole All Black to earn global recognition in the recent years, in opposition to 10 in multiple seasons between the mid-2000s.

International Growth

Rather, attempts have been undertaken to establish the All Blacks into previously untapped markets.

The opening phase of this European campaign brings the All Blacks not to the Irish capital but Chicago, a revisit to the location where the Irish team obtained a first ever victory in the contest nine years ago.

Since the relaxation of pandemic limitations, the New Zealand team have also