Can the All Blacks find their spark this autumn?
Seeking what would be just a fifth northern hemisphere clean sweep in their legendary past, the New Zealand side have traveled to Europe at an interesting juncture.
Matches against the Irish team, the Scottish side, England and the Welsh team await the New Zealand team across the upcoming weeks but, in addition to the possibility to join the sides of previous successful tours in the annals of rugby, the games will be used as a yardstick to measure the development of the side under a manager now two years on from assuming control.
Current Challenges
Doubts over a absence of an identifiable style, enduring debates over selection and departures from the coaching ticket have all contributed to the sense that the best-known side in the sport is presently one in a state of flux.
Most importantly, it is the decline in outcomes from a past excellence set between the World Cups of 2011 and 2019 that has led some to speculate that we have evolved beyond of the age of New Zealand dominance.
Team Record
Before their journey for the fall series, it was revealed that during the following season, in the lack of the southern hemisphere competition, New Zealand will face South Africa in a off-season matches termed 'a tour like no other'.
In the past the game's two strongest sides, there is clear agreement over who has recently got the better of what promoters have called 'The Premier Rivalry'.
In recent seasons, the Springboks have won a pair of World Cups, three Rugby Championships and a competition against the home nations team to be regarded as the team of their era.
New Zealand have maintained to beat the Irish team when it is crucial, beating this weekend's rivals in the World Cup quarter finals of recent years. They have, meanwhile, been defeated in just a pair of the past 21 meetings with the English team, have overcome Wales in every encounter since the sixties and have remained unbeaten by the Scottish team.
Changing Dynamics
But the diminishment of their standing as the sport's measure of excellence will persist as an irritation.
While the New Zealand team excelled through the last ten years - securing 87% of their fixtures, as well as claiming the Webb Ellis on several instances - the World Cup of the previous competition can now be viewed as when the balance of power shifted in the world sport.
New Zealand overcame South Africa in their initial fixture of the championship in Japan, but it was the Boks' who were eventually successful in Yokohama.
From that point, the New Zealand's winning percentage has dropped to seventy-one percent. South Africa themselves lost 10 of their subsequent fixtures but, commencing of last year, have won at a frequency (eighty-three percent) to match even the last great New Zealand team.
Recent Encounters
Over the comparable duration, the Springboks have secured victory in the majority of the seven meetings between the teams, comprising triumph in the latest global tournament decider.
In claiming their most recent southern hemisphere crown, the Springboks delivered a record 43-10 defeat on the All Blacks courtesy of dominant performance in their home ground, a score which has sparked another wave of controversy about the development of the team under the coach.
Maybe most concerning for followers of the All Blacks will be that, allied to their usual power, South Africa's achievement has come with an creative approach more usually associated with their traditional rivals.
Playing Philosophy
At the time that the All Blacks were at the peak of their abilities 10 years ago, they were a clinical transition team able of dismantling rivals from every section of the field and at any point of the match.
Today, their offensive approach is more ambiguous as Robertson, who has given multiple new players during his two years in charge, tries to initially build the fundamental core elements of a competitive squad.
It has already been confirmed that the assistant coach in charge of offense, their offensive coordinator, will depart his position after the upcoming matches, becoming the additional person of the coaching staff to depart after Leon MacDonald departed last year after just five Tests.
Expectations vs Reality
It was not merely his winning record, but his approach, that was predicted to transfer from Crusaders when he began his tenure after the 2023 World Cup but, to date, each remain a work in progress.
Organizational Strategy
After financial organization investors bought a stake in New Zealand rugby in 2022, the subsequent announcement spoke of the "pursuit of worldwide growth" for the team.
That task has possibly been more challenging by the shortage of a global icon. The current captain and the trio of Barrett brothers remain well-known figures in the rugby, but the spread of talented players has expanded significantly. Their leader is the sole All Black to earn global recognition in the past six seasons, in comparison to 10 in over a decade between the mid-2000s.
Worldwide Reach
Instead, efforts have been undertaken to transplant the All Blacks into new territories.
The opening phase of this 'Grand Slam' tour brings New Zealand not to the Irish capital but the American city, a revisit to the stadium where Ireland obtained a first ever victory in the match during past tours.
Following the relaxation of pandemic limitations, the All Blacks have also
