Can the All Blacks regain their spark this autumn?
Seeking what would be just a fifth tour victory in their legendary past, the All Blacks have traveled to Europe at an interesting juncture.
Matches against Ireland, Scotland, England and the Welsh team await Scott Robertson's side across the coming month but, quite aside from the chance to match the squads of previous successful tours in the history books, the games will be used as a benchmark to evaluate the progress of the side under a leader now well established from beginning his tenure.
Current Challenges
Concerns over a lack of an clear playing identity, continuing controversies over player choices and departures from the coaching ticket have all fueled the sense that the most famous squad in the rugby is now one in a period of transition.
Most importantly, it is the drop in performances from a previous peak set between the global tournaments of the last decade that has led some to suggest that we have evolved beyond of the era of New Zealand dominance.
Past Performance
Before their travel for the northern hemisphere, it was announced that in the coming year, in the non-existence of the Rugby Championship, New Zealand will play South Africa in a off-season matches termed 'an unprecedented series'.
Historically the rugby's premier teams, there is little doubt over who has currently outperformed of what marketers have described 'The Premier Rivalry'.
In recent seasons, the Springboks have secured a couple of World Cups, three Rugby Championships and a tour against the home nations team to be considered as the squad of their period.
New Zealand have continued to defeat Ireland when it counts most, defeating their next challengers in the tournament knockout stages of the past two tournaments. They have, additionally, lost just a couple of the recent encounters with the English team, have defeated the Welsh side in every encounter since 1963 and have always been victorious by the Scottish team.
Changing Dynamics
But the decline of their position as the sport's measure of excellence will continue to rankle.
Although the New Zealand team dominated through the 2010s - winning 87% of their international games, as well as claiming the global trophy on multiple times - the global tournament of 2019 can now be regarded as when the balance of power changed in the global game.
The All Blacks defeated South Africa in their opening match of the competition in the host nation, but it was the Boks' who were ultimately triumphant in Yokohama.
From that point, the All Blacks' success rate has dropped to seventy-one percent. South Africa themselves lost ten of their following games but, commencing of 2023, have won at a rate (83%) to compete with even the former Kiwi champions.
Recent Encounters
During the same period, the 'Boks have won the majority of the seven meetings between the opponents, including success in the recent championship match.
During their pursuit of their current southern hemisphere crown, the Springboks inflicted a record 43-10 defeat on the All Blacks through 36 unanswered second-half points in the capital, a outcome which has sparked another series of controversy concerning the direction of the squad under Robertson.
Possibly most jarring for supporters of the New Zealand team will be that, combined with their usual power, the Springboks' achievement has come with an attacking verve more typically linked with their opposition team.
Team Identity
When the New Zealand team were at the height of their capabilities in previous eras, they were a devastating offensive machine able of dismantling competitors from every section of the field and at all times of the game.
Now, their playing philosophy is more ambiguous as their leader, who has handed out multiple new players during his 24 months in command, tries to initially build the more prosaic foundations of a competitive squad.
It has previously announced that the assistant coach overseeing attack, the current coach, will exit the team after the autumn tour, becoming the second member of management team to depart after previous staff member walked away last year after just five Tests.
Team Development
It was not merely previous achievements, but his approach, that was anticipated to translate from previous club when he began his tenure after the 2023 World Cup but, so far, each are still a work in progress.
Business Factors
Following financial organization the company invested capital in All Blacks in recent years, the subsequent announcement spoke of the "search of worldwide growth" for the organization.
That task has possibly been more challenging by the lack of a international celebrity. Ardie Savea and the trio of related players continue to be household names in the rugby, but the concentration of stars has never been spread wider. Savea is the single All Black to win global recognition in the recent years, in contrast to ten awards in 13 years between previous generations.
Worldwide Reach
Rather, efforts have been made 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 Chicago, a return to the stadium where Ireland achieved a historic win in the fixture during past tours.
After the reduction of health protocols, the New Zealand team have additionally
