🔗 Share this article Will the New Zealand rugby team regain their winning form during the fall tour? The New Zealand team have secured victory in 71% of their games during the current decade Seeking what would be just a fifth 'Grand Slam' in their storied history, the New Zealand side have headed north at an interesting juncture. Matches against Ireland, the Scottish side, England and the Welsh team await the All Blacks across the upcoming weeks but, quite aside from the chance to join the sides of previous successful tours in the history books, the matches will be used as a benchmark to evaluate the improvement of the team under a head coach now 24 months into from assuming control. Team Issues Doubts over a absence of an identifiable style, ongoing discussions over selection and departures from the backroom staff have all fueled the perception that the best-known side in the game is presently one in a period of transition. Most importantly, it is the decline in outcomes 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 era of New Zealand dominance. Team Record Ahead of their journey for the fall series, it was revealed that next year, in the non-existence of the Rugby Championship, New Zealand will play South Africa in a warm-weather tour termed 'an unprecedented series'. Traditionally the sport's top competitors, there is clear agreement over who has currently outperformed of what marketers have labeled 'The Ultimate Contest'. Over the past seven years, the Springboks have secured a couple of World Cups, three southern hemisphere titles and a series against the British and Irish Lions to be considered as the squad of their era. The All Blacks have persisted to overcome the Irish team when it is crucial, overcoming Saturday's opponents in the tournament knockout stages of 2019 and '23. They have, at the same time, been defeated in just a pair of the recent encounters with the English team, have defeated Wales in every encounter since the sixties and have remained unbeaten by the Scottish team. Evolving Landscape But the decline of their standing as the rugby's benchmark will continue to rankle. Although the All Blacks excelled through the previous decade - achieving 87% of their Test matches, as well as claiming the World Cup on two occasions - the World Cup of 2019 can now be viewed as when the competitive landscape shifted in the world sport. The All Blacks beat South Africa in their first game of the championship in Japan, but it was the South Africans who were eventually successful in the final. From that point, the New Zealand's victory ratio has declined to seventy-one percent. South Africa themselves lost ten of their following games but, since the start of 2023, have won at a rate (eighty-three percent) to compete with even the former Kiwi champions. The New Zealand team will compete in four Tests against the Springboks in 2026 Recent Encounters Over the comparable duration, the Springboks have secured victory in the majority of the recent encounters between the opponents, including success in the recent championship match. In claiming their latest continental championship, South Africa delivered a record 43-10 defeat on the All Blacks thanks to dominant performance in the capital, a outcome which has triggered another wave of debate concerning the direction of the squad under the coach. Perhaps most jarring for supporters of the New Zealand team will be that, combined with their usual power, South Africa's achievement has come with an offensive flair more usually associated with their opposition team. Playing Philosophy During the period when the New Zealand team were at the peak of their abilities a decade past, they were a ruthless counter-attacking unit able of shredding opponents from all areas of the pitch and at all times of the game. Currently, their playing philosophy is less defined as Robertson, who has given 19 debuts during his 24 months in control, tries to initially build the basic core elements of a successful side. It has recently revealed that the supporting manager overseeing attack, the current coach, will exit the team after the autumn tour, making him the additional person of Robertson's ticket to exit after Leon MacDonald departed last year after just five Tests. Team Development It was not merely Robertson's success, but his style, that was expected to translate from Crusaders when he began his tenure after the 2023 World Cup but, so far, the two aspects remain a work in progress. The team leader was named international star in the previous season Organizational Strategy Following financial organization Silver Lake invested capital in All Blacks in recent years, the ensuing statement spoke of the "quest of new global opportunities" for the brand. That task has possibly been more challenging by the shortage of a global icon. The current captain and the group of related players are still recognizable personalities in the game, but the concentration of key individuals has become more diverse. Savea is the only All Black to win international honors in the past six seasons, in comparison to ten awards in multiple seasons between previous generations. Global Expansion Rather, initiatives have been implemented to introduce the All Blacks into new territories. The opening phase of this 'Grand Slam' tour brings the All Blacks not to Dublin but Chicago, a comeback to the stadium where Ireland secured a landmark success in the match nine years ago. Following the easing of Covid-19 travel restrictions, the New Zealand team have also