Can the New Zealand rugby team regain their winning form this autumn?

Seeking what would be just a fifth northern hemisphere clean sweep in their legendary past, the All Blacks have headed north at an interesting juncture.

Matches against the Irish team, the Scottish side, the English squad and the Welsh team await Scott Robertson's side across the next four weekends but, beyond the chance to join the sides of 1978, 2005, 2008 and 2010 in the record books, the matches will be used as a measure to measure the progress of the team under a head coach now two years on from assuming control.

Current Challenges

Questions over a shortage of an identifiable style, ongoing discussions over selection and departures from the backroom staff have all contributed to the sense that the most recognisable team in the sport is presently one in a period of transition.

Most pertinently, it is the drop in results from a historic high watermark set between the global tournaments of the last decade that has led some to suggest that we have moved out of the era of New Zealand dominance.

Team Record

Prior to their travel for the fall series, it was revealed that in the coming year, in the lack of the Rugby Championship, the All Blacks will play South Africa in a warm-weather tour dubbed 'a unique competition'.

Historically the rugby's premier teams, there is no question over who has recently got the better of what marketers have called 'The Premier Rivalry'.

In recent seasons, the Springboks have claimed a couple of global tournaments, three southern hemisphere titles and a series against the home nations team to be considered as the squad of their era.

New Zealand have persisted to defeat Ireland when it matters most, beating their next challengers in the tournament knockout stages of recent years. They have, meanwhile, been defeated in just a couple of the past 21 meetings with England, have beaten Wales in all matches since over sixty years ago and have remained unbeaten by the Scottish team.

Shifting Balance

But the loss of their position as the sport's measure of excellence will continue to rankle.

While the All Blacks excelled through the previous decade - securing 87% of their international games, as well as lifting the global trophy on two occasions - the global tournament of 2019 can now be seen as when the hierarchical structure shifted in the world sport.

The All Blacks overcame South Africa in their first game of the tournament in Japan, but it was the Boks' who were ultimately triumphant in Yokohama.

After that event, the All Blacks' success rate has declined to seventy-one percent. South Africa themselves lost 10 of their next 26 Test matches but, commencing of last year, have achieved victory at a rate (83%) to compete with even the previous All Blacks side.

Recent Encounters

Over the comparable duration, the Springboks have won the majority of the past fixtures between the sides, featuring success in the 2023 World Cup final.

While securing their latest regional title, Rassie Erasmus' side delivered a record 43-10 defeat on the All Blacks through 36 unanswered second-half points in Wellington, a outcome which has sparked another wave of controversy regarding the progress of the squad under the coach.

Perhaps most concerning for followers of the All Blacks will be that, combined with their traditional strength, South Africa's success has come with an offensive flair more typically linked with their own side.

Style Evolution

At the time that the All Blacks were at the height of their powers 10 years ago, they were a devastating offensive machine able of dismantling rivals from all areas of the pitch and at any moment of the game.

Currently, their playing philosophy is unclear as their leader, who has awarded 19 debuts during his recent tenure in command, tries to primarily create the fundamental building blocks of a winning team.

It has recently revealed that the supporting manager responsible for scoring, Jason Holland, will depart his position after the fall series, making him the next individual of management team to exit after previous staff member departed last year after just limited matches.

Team Development

It was not merely previous achievements, but his approach, that was anticipated to carry over from Crusaders when he began his tenure after the recent tournament but, as yet, each remain a continuous improvement.

Organizational Strategy

When private equity firm Silver Lake invested capital in All Blacks in recent years, the following communication spoke of the "search of international expansion" for the organization.

That goal has possibly been more difficult by the absence of a global icon. Their key player and the trio of Barrett brothers remain well-known figures in the rugby, but the distribution of talented players has never been spread wider. Their leader is the sole New Zealand player to receive global recognition in the past six seasons, in opposition to 10 in over a decade between previous generations.

International Growth

Alternatively, initiatives have been implemented to transplant the All Blacks into emerging regions.

The first leg of this northern hemisphere series brings New Zealand not to Dublin but Chicago, a revisit 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 furthermore