🔗 Share this article Will the All Blacks find their winning form in the upcoming matches? The All Blacks have secured victory in 71% of their games during the current decade Aiming for what would be just a fifth tour victory in their illustrious legacy, the New Zealand side have embarked on their tour at an crucial period. Fixtures against the Irish team, the Scottish side, England and the Welsh team await the New Zealand team across the next four weekends but, beyond the possibility to match the teams of 1978, 2005, 2008 and 2010 in the annals of rugby, the games will be used as a benchmark to measure the development of the team under a head coach now 24 months into from taking up the reins. Present Difficulties Concerns over a absence of an identifiable style, continuing controversies over team picks and exits from the backroom staff have all contributed to the sense that the best-known side in the rugby is currently one in a time of change. Most importantly, it is the drop in outcomes from a previous peak set between the global tournaments of 2011 and 2019 that has caused some to suggest that we have moved out of the age of All Black exceptionalism. Past Performance Ahead of their departure for the northern hemisphere, it was revealed that in the coming year, in the lack of the southern hemisphere competition, the All Blacks will play South Africa in a off-season matches called 'an unprecedented series'. Traditionally the game's two strongest sides, there is clear agreement over who has currently outperformed of what marketers have labeled 'The Ultimate Contest'. Over the past seven years, the South African team have won a pair of World Cups, three Rugby Championships and a tour against the home nations team to be considered as the team of their era. The All Blacks have persisted to beat Ireland when it is crucial, overcoming Saturday's opponents in the World Cup quarter finals of recent years. They have, at the same time, lost just two of the recent encounters with England, have defeated the Welsh side in each game since over sixty years ago and have remained unbeaten by Scotland. Evolving Landscape But the loss of their position as the game's gold standard will persist as an irritation. Whereas the All Blacks dominated through the previous decade - securing eighty-seven percent of their international games, as well as winning the World Cup on two occasions - the World Cup of 2019 can now be viewed as when the balance of power moved in the global game. The All Blacks overcame the Springboks in their first game of the championship in Japan, but it was the Boks' who were ultimately triumphant in the championship match. From that point, the All Blacks' victory ratio has declined to seventy-one percent. The Springboks themselves were defeated in 10 of their subsequent fixtures but, since the start of 2023, have achieved victory at a percentage (eighty-three percent) to rival even the former Kiwi champions. The New Zealand team will play several games against the Springboks in 2026 Head-to-Head During the same period, the Springboks have secured victory in five of the past fixtures between the sides, featuring success in the recent championship match. While securing their latest continental championship, Rassie Erasmus' side inflicted a record 43-10 defeat on the New Zealand team through 36 unanswered second-half points in their home ground, a score which has sparked another wave of controversy concerning the direction of the side under their leader. Perhaps most jarring for supporters of the New Zealand team will be that, alongside their traditional strength, the Springboks' triumph has come with an offensive flair more commonly connected with their traditional rivals. Team Identity During the period when the New Zealand team were at the peak of their capabilities 10 years ago, they were a clinical transition team able of destroying opponents from all areas of the field and at all times of the game. Currently, their attacking style is unclear as Robertson, who has awarded multiple new players during his recent tenure in charge, tries to primarily create the fundamental building blocks of a successful side. It has previously announced that the supporting manager responsible for offense, the current coach, will exit the team after the upcoming matches, making him the additional person of the coaching staff to leave after another coach departed last year after just five Tests. Performance Gap It was not merely his winning record, but his methodology, that was predicted to translate from previous club when he took over after the recent tournament but, to date, the two aspects continue to be a ongoing development. Ardie Savea was awarded international star in the previous season Organizational Strategy After private equity firm Silver Lake bought a stake in All Blacks in recent years, the ensuing statement spoke of the "pursuit of worldwide growth" for the brand. That objective has maybe been more challenging by the shortage of a international celebrity. Their key player and the collection of Barrett brothers continue to be recognizable personalities in the sport, but the concentration of key individuals has never been spread wider. Their leader is the single All Black to win international honors in the current era, in contrast to ten awards in 13 years between the mid-2000s. Global Expansion Instead, initiatives have been implemented to transplant the New Zealand team into emerging regions. The opening phase of this northern hemisphere series brings the All Blacks not to the Irish capital but Chicago, a return to the stadium where Ireland achieved a first ever victory in the contest in previous seasons. After the reduction of health protocols, the New Zealand team have also