🔗 Share this article

Seeking what would be just a fifth 'Grand Slam' in their illustrious legacy, the All Blacks have headed north at an interesting juncture.

Games against Ireland, Scotland, the English squad and the Welsh team await the All Blacks across the coming month but, quite aside from the chance to match the sides of 1978, 2005, 2008 and 2010 in the annals of rugby, the fixtures will be used as a yardstick to evaluate the improvement of the squad under a manager now 24 months into from assuming control.

Team Issues

Concerns over a lack of an clear playing identity, ongoing discussions over player choices and departures from the backroom staff have all fueled the feeling that the most famous squad in the game is presently one in a state of flux.

Most pertinently, it is the drop 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 age of Kiwi superiority.

Team Record

Prior to their travel for the northern hemisphere, it was revealed that in the coming year, in the non-existence of the Rugby Championship, the All Blacks will play South Africa in a off-season matches dubbed 'a unique competition'.

Traditionally the sport's top competitors, there is clear agreement over who has currently outperformed of what organizers have called 'The Premier Rivalry'.

During the last decade, the South African team have won a couple of global tournaments, three Rugby Championships and a tour against the home nations team to be considered as the team of their period.

The All Blacks have continued to beat Ireland when it counts most, defeating their next challengers in the tournament knockout stages of the past two tournaments. They have, meanwhile, been defeated in just a pair of the past 21 meetings with England, have overcome Wales in all matches since over sixty years ago and have never suffered defeat by Scotland.

Changing Dynamics

But the loss of their position as the rugby's benchmark will continue to rankle.

While the All Blacks excelled through the last ten years - securing eighty-seven percent of their international games, as well as lifting the global trophy on two occasions - the global tournament of the previous competition can now be regarded as when the hierarchical structure changed in the global game.

The All Blacks beat South Africa in their first game of the tournament in Japan, but it was the South Africans who were eventually successful in Yokohama.

After that event, the All Blacks' success rate has dropped to 71%. The Springboks themselves were defeated in ten of their following games but, since the start of 2023, have achieved victory at a frequency (83%) to compete with even the former Kiwi champions.

Head-to-Head

Over the comparable duration, the Springboks have secured victory in five of the past fixtures between the opponents, comprising triumph in the 2023 World Cup final.

In claiming their latest continental championship, the Springboks administered a record 43-10 defeat on the All Blacks thanks to overwhelming display in the capital, a outcome which has sparked another round of debate regarding the direction of the squad under their leader.

Perhaps most jarring for followers of the All Blacks will be that, alongside their traditional strength, the Springboks' success has come with an creative approach more commonly connected with their own side.

Playing Philosophy

When the New Zealand team were at the zenith of their abilities a decade past, they were a devastating offensive machine capable of dismantling competitors from every section of the field and at all times of the contest.

Now, their offensive approach is more ambiguous as Robertson, who has given numerous first caps during his two years in control, tries to initially build the fundamental core elements of a successful side.

It has previously announced that the assistant coach responsible for offense, the current coach, will depart his position after the upcoming matches, becoming the additional person of the coaching staff to exit after previous staff member departed last year after just limited matches.

Expectations vs Reality

It was not just Robertson's success, but his methodology, that was expected to carry over from Crusaders when he assumed control after the global competition but, to date, the two aspects continue to be a work in progress.

Business Factors

Following private equity firm investors bought a stake in All Blacks in recent years, the following communication mentioned the "search of new global opportunities" for the team.

That task has maybe been more difficult by the absence of a crossover star. Their key player and the trio of family members are still recognizable personalities in the game, but the spread of stars has never been spread wider. The captain is the single New Zealand player to receive global recognition in the past six seasons, in opposition to ten awards in 13 years between previous generations.

International Growth

Alternatively, efforts have been implemented to transplant the All Blacks into new territories.

The initial stage of this 'Grand Slam' tour brings the All Blacks not to the Irish capital but the American city, a comeback to the location where Ireland secured a landmark success in the contest during past tours.

After the relaxation of Covid-19 travel restrictions, the New Zealand team have additionally