🔗 Share this article Can the All Blacks find their spark during the fall tour? The All Blacks have secured victory in seventy-one percent of their games during the current decade Aiming for what would be just a fifth tour victory in their illustrious legacy, the All Blacks have headed north at an interesting juncture. Fixtures against Ireland, the Scottish side, England and the Welsh team await the All Blacks across the next four weekends but, in addition to the chance to join the teams of previous successful tours in the history books, the games will be used as a yardstick to evaluate the improvement of the side under a head coach now two years on from assuming control. Present Difficulties Concerns over a absence of an identifiable style, enduring debates over player choices and departures from the coaching ticket have all contributed to the sense that the most recognisable team in the rugby is currently one in a time of change. Most significantly, it is the dip in outcomes from a previous peak set between the global tournaments of 2011 and 2019 that has prompted some to speculate that we have evolved beyond of the period of All Black exceptionalism. Past Performance Before their travel for the European tour, it was announced that during the following season, in the absence of the Rugby Championship, New Zealand will play the Springboks in a summer series called 'a tour like no other'. In the past the sport's top competitors, there is no question over who has currently outperformed of what marketers have labeled 'Rugby's Greatest Rivalry'. In recent seasons, the Springboks have claimed a couple of World Cups, three southern hemisphere titles and a tour against the home nations team to be regarded as the side of their era. The All Blacks have persisted to defeat Ireland when it counts most, overcoming this weekend's rivals in the global competition of 2019 and '23. They have, meanwhile, been defeated in just two of the past 21 meetings with England, have beaten the Welsh side in each game since the sixties and have never suffered defeat by the Scottish team. Evolving Landscape But the diminishment of their standing as the game's gold standard will remain frustrating. While the New Zealand team reigned supreme through the 2010s - securing 87% of their Test matches, as well as claiming the global trophy on two occasions - the global tournament of 2019 can now be seen as when the balance of power moved in the international rugby. The All Blacks beat South Africa in their opening match of the competition in Japan, but it was the Boks' who were eventually successful in the championship match. After that event, the All Blacks' victory ratio has declined to 71%. South Africa themselves were defeated in ten of their following games but, since the start of 2023, have won at a frequency (83%) to rival even the previous All Blacks side. The New Zealand team will compete in several games against the Springboks in future seasons Recent Encounters During the same period, the South African team have secured victory in five of the recent encounters between the sides, including victory in the recent championship match. During their pursuit of their most recent southern hemisphere crown, the Springboks inflicted a significant beating on the All Blacks courtesy of 36 unanswered second-half points in the capital, a score which has sparked another series of debate concerning the direction of the team under their leader. Possibly most jarring for followers of the All Blacks will be that, allied to their usual power, South Africa's success has come with an attacking verve more commonly connected with their traditional rivals. Style Evolution At the time that the All Blacks were at the peak of their abilities in previous eras, they were a clinical transition team equipped of dismantling rivals from any part of the field and at any point of the game. Currently, their playing philosophy is more ambiguous as the coach, who has awarded 19 debuts during his two years in charge, tries to initially build the fundamental foundations of a winning team. It has recently revealed that the assistant coach responsible for scoring, Jason Holland, will leave his role after the autumn tour, becoming the next individual of management team to leave after another coach left last year after just limited matches. Team Development It was not just Robertson's success, but his style, that was expected to transfer from Crusaders when he assumed control after the global competition but, so far, both remain a work in progress. The team leader was named international star in 2023 Organizational Strategy Following investment group investors acquired shares in All Blacks in recent years, the subsequent announcement spoke of the "search of worldwide growth" for the brand. That task has possibly been more difficult by the shortage of a global icon. Their key player and the group of family members continue to be household names in the rugby, but the spread of stars has expanded significantly. The captain is the single All Black to earn global recognition in the current era, in comparison to 10 in over a decade between the mid-2000s. Worldwide Reach Instead, efforts have been undertaken to transplant the All Blacks into new territories. The first leg of this northern hemisphere series brings the All Blacks not to Dublin but Chicago, a return to the stadium where Ireland achieved a landmark success in the match nine years ago. Following the relaxation of pandemic limitations, the All Blacks have also