🔗 Share this article Can the New Zealand rugby team rediscover their winning form in the upcoming matches? The New Zealand team have won 71% of their matches during the current decade Seeking what would be just a fifth 'Grand Slam' in their illustrious legacy, the New Zealand side have headed north at an crucial period. Fixtures against the Irish team, the Scottish side, England and Wales await the All Blacks across the upcoming weeks but, quite aside from the chance to match the sides of 1978, 2005, 2008 and 2010 in the history books, the games will be used as a yardstick to evaluate the improvement of the side under a head coach now 24 months into from taking up the reins. Current Challenges Questions over a absence of an clear playing identity, enduring debates over selection and leavings from the backroom staff have all added to the feeling that the most famous squad in the game is presently one in a state of flux. Most significantly, it is the dip in results from a historic high watermark set between the global tournaments of 2011 and 2019 that has caused some to theorize that we have transitioned away of the age of Kiwi superiority. Recent History Ahead of their journey for the European tour, it was confirmed that next year, in the non-existence of the southern hemisphere competition, the All Blacks will meet South Africa in a summer series dubbed 'a unique competition'. Traditionally the game's two strongest sides, there is clear agreement over who has lately dominated of what organizers have labeled 'Rugby's Greatest Rivalry'. In recent seasons, the Springboks have won a couple of World Cups, three Rugby Championships and a tour against the home nations team to be viewed as the squad of their generation. New Zealand have persisted to beat the Irish team when it is crucial, beating Saturday's opponents in the World Cup quarter finals of recent years. They have, additionally, lost just two of the past 21 meetings with England, have defeated the Welsh side in every encounter since the sixties and have never suffered defeat by Scotland. Evolving Landscape But the decline of their status as the sport's measure of excellence will persist as an irritation. While the New Zealand team excelled through the 2010s - achieving eighty-seven percent of their fixtures, as well as winning the World Cup on two occasions - the global tournament of the previous competition can now be regarded as when the balance of power changed in the international rugby. The All Blacks beat South Africa in their first game of the tournament in Japan, but it was the Boks' who were finally victorious in the final. From that point, the All Blacks' winning percentage has declined to 71%. The Springboks themselves were defeated in 10 of their following games but, since the start of last year, have achieved victory at a rate (83%) to match even the previous All Blacks side. The All Blacks will play four Tests against South Africa in 2026 Direct Competition Throughout the comparable duration, the South African team have secured victory in the majority of the seven meetings between the teams, featuring victory in the 2023 World Cup final. In claiming their most recent regional title, South Africa administered a record 43-10 defeat on the All Blacks through dominant performance in their home ground, a outcome which has triggered another wave of debate about the direction of the side under Robertson. Possibly most concerning for supporters of the All Blacks will be that, combined with their usual power, South Africa's triumph has come with an creative approach more typically linked with their traditional rivals. Team Identity During the period when the All Blacks were at the height of their capabilities 10 years ago, they were a devastating offensive machine able of destroying rivals from any part of the pitch and at any moment of the match. Today, their offensive approach is unclear as their leader, who has given numerous first caps during his two years in charge, tries to initially build the fundamental foundations of a winning team. It has already been confirmed that the assistant coach responsible for attack, the current coach, will leave his role after the autumn tour, becoming the next individual of Robertson's ticket to exit after previous staff member walked away last year after just five Tests. Team Development It was not only Robertson's success, but his style, that was anticipated to carry over from Crusaders when he began his tenure after the global competition but, as yet, each remain a continuous improvement. The star player was selected as World Rugby Player of the Year in the previous season Organizational Strategy Following private equity firm Silver Lake bought a stake in All Blacks in recent years, the following communication mentioned the "pursuit of international expansion" for the team. That objective has possibly been more difficult by the lack of a international celebrity. Their key player and the group of family members remain recognizable personalities in the rugby, but the spread of key individuals has become more diverse. Their leader is the only New Zealand player to win global recognition in the past six seasons, in comparison to ten awards in multiple seasons between previous generations. Global Expansion Alternatively, initiatives have been undertaken to transplant the All Blacks into emerging regions. The first leg of this 'Grand Slam' tour brings the All Blacks not to Dublin but Chicago, a return to the stadium where the Irish team obtained a first ever victory in the match during past tours. Since the easing of Covid-19 travel restrictions, the New Zealand team have furthermore