Can the All Blacks find their spark during the fall tour?
Pursuing what would be just a fifth 'Grand Slam' in their storied history, the All Blacks have traveled to Europe at an pivotal moment.
Fixtures against Ireland, the Scottish side, England and Wales await Scott Robertson's side across the coming month but, beyond the possibility to join the teams of previous successful tours in the history books, the matches will be used as a measure to measure the improvement of the squad under a leader 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 management team have all fueled the sense that the most famous squad in the rugby is now one in a state of flux.
Most importantly, it is the drop in performances from a past excellence set between the World Cups of 2011 and 2019 that has led some to theorize that we have evolved beyond of the period of Kiwi superiority.
Past Performance
Before their departure for the fall series, it was confirmed that during the following season, in the non-existence of the Rugby Championship, the All Blacks will play South Africa in a warm-weather tour dubbed 'an unprecedented series'.
Historically the rugby's premier teams, there is no question over who has currently outperformed of what organizers have called 'The Ultimate Contest'.
In recent seasons, the South African team have won a pair of global tournaments, three southern hemisphere titles and a competition against the British and Irish Lions to be viewed as the side of their generation.
The All Blacks have persisted to beat the Irish team when it counts most, beating this weekend's rivals in the tournament knockout stages of the past two tournaments. They have, additionally, been defeated in just two of the recent encounters with England, have beaten the Welsh side in all matches since 1963 and have always been victorious by the Scottish team.
Changing Dynamics
But the diminishment of their standing as the sport's measure of excellence will remain frustrating.
Although the All Blacks excelled through the previous decade - achieving 87% of their Test matches, as well as winning the World Cup on several instances - the World Cup of 2019 can now be viewed as when the hierarchical structure shifted in the global game.
New Zealand defeated South Africa in their opening match of the competition in Japan, but it was the South Africans who were ultimately triumphant in the championship match.
After that event, the All Blacks' victory ratio has declined to seventy-one percent. The Springboks themselves lost ten of their next 26 Test matches but, since the start of 2023, have won at a rate (83%) to compete with even the former Kiwi champions.
Recent Encounters
Throughout the comparable duration, the 'Boks have secured victory in five of the seven meetings between the sides, including success in the recent championship match.
During their pursuit of their latest regional title, South Africa inflicted a historic loss on the New Zealand team courtesy of dominant performance in Wellington, a outcome which has sparked another round of discussion regarding the direction of the side under the coach.
Possibly most concerning for followers of the All Blacks will be that, allied to their usual power, South Africa's success has come with an creative approach more usually associated with their traditional rivals.
Playing Philosophy
At the time that the New Zealand team were at the zenith of their capabilities in previous eras, they were a devastating offensive machine able of destroying opponents from any part of the playing surface and at any moment of the match.
Today, their offensive approach is more ambiguous as the coach, who has handed out 19 debuts during his recent tenure in control, tries to primarily create the more prosaic building blocks of a competitive squad.
It has already been confirmed that the assistant coach overseeing scoring, Jason Holland, will depart his position after the autumn tour, making him the second member of Robertson's ticket to depart after previous staff member left last year after just a handful of games.
Performance Gap
It was not only Robertson's success, but his methodology, that was expected to translate from previous club when he began his tenure after the 2023 World Cup but, so far, both are still a work in progress.
Commercial Considerations
Following investment group Silver Lake invested capital in New Zealand rugby in the past, the subsequent announcement discussed the "search of international expansion" for the team.
That task has perhaps been more challenging by the shortage of a international celebrity. Their key player and the collection of family members remain recognizable personalities in the rugby, but the spread of key individuals has expanded significantly. Savea is the single All Black to receive global recognition in the current era, in contrast to ten awards in multiple seasons between 2005 and '07.
International Growth
Instead, efforts have been made to introduce the All Blacks into new territories.
The opening phase of this northern hemisphere series brings New Zealand not to the Irish capital but the American city, a comeback to the Soldier Field venue where Ireland achieved a first ever victory in the match during past tours.
Following the reduction of Covid-19 travel restrictions, the All Blacks have furthermore
