Can the All Blacks regain their winning form during the fall tour?
Aiming for what would be just a fifth 'Grand Slam' in their storied history, the All Blacks have headed north at an interesting juncture.
Games against Ireland, the Scottish side, England and the Welsh team await Scott Robertson's side across the next four weekends but, in addition to the opportunity to equal the squads of previous successful tours in the record books, the fixtures will be used as a measure to assess the development of the squad under a manager now two years on from assuming control.
Current Challenges
Concerns over a lack of an distinctive approach, continuing controversies over team picks and exits from the backroom staff have all added to the feeling that the most famous squad in the sport is presently one in a period of transition.
Most importantly, it is the decline in performances from a past excellence set between the World Cups of the last decade that has prompted some to theorize that we have moved out of the period of All Black exceptionalism.
Recent History
Ahead of their departure for the European tour, it was announced that during the following season, in the lack of the southern hemisphere competition, the All Blacks will face the Springboks in a warm-weather tour termed 'a tour like no other'.
Historically the sport's top competitors, there is little doubt over who has currently outperformed of what organizers have described 'The Premier Rivalry'.
In recent seasons, the Springboks have claimed a pair of World Cups, three southern hemisphere titles and a tour against the northern hemisphere selection to be considered as the squad of their era.
New Zealand have maintained to overcome Ireland when it counts most, defeating Saturday's opponents in the tournament knockout stages of the past two tournaments. They have, meanwhile, lost just two of the last fixtures with England, have beaten Wales in every encounter since the sixties and have remained unbeaten by Scotland.
Shifting Balance
But the loss of their standing as the rugby's benchmark will continue to rankle.
Although the All Blacks reigned supreme through the 2010s - winning eighty-seven percent of their international games, as well as lifting the World Cup on several instances - the global tournament of the previous competition can now be viewed as when the competitive landscape shifted in the world sport.
New Zealand defeated the Springboks in their opening match of the tournament in Japan, but it was the Boks' who were eventually successful in Yokohama.
After that event, the New Zealand's winning percentage has fallen to 71%. South Africa themselves lost 10 of their following games but, commencing of 2023, have achieved victory at a frequency (eighty-three percent) to compete with even the former Kiwi champions.
Recent Encounters
During the same period, the Springboks have secured victory in five of the past fixtures between the teams, comprising victory in the 2023 World Cup final.
During their pursuit of their current southern hemisphere crown, Rassie Erasmus' side administered a historic loss on the New Zealand team thanks to 36 unanswered second-half points in their home ground, a result which has sparked another series of controversy about the development of the side under the coach.
Possibly most concerning for fans of the New Zealand team will be that, alongside their characteristic physicality, the Springboks' achievement has come with an attacking verve more typically linked with their traditional rivals.
Style Evolution
At the time that the All Blacks were at the peak of their abilities in previous eras, they were a clinical transition team capable of destroying competitors from any part of the playing surface and at any point of the match.
Today, their offensive approach is less defined as the coach, who has handed out 19 debuts during his recent tenure in command, tries to primarily create the more prosaic foundations of a competitive squad.
It has previously announced that the supporting manager in charge of attack, their offensive coordinator, will exit the team after the fall series, making him the additional person of the coaching staff to depart after Leon MacDonald left last year after just limited matches.
Performance Gap
It was not just his winning record, but his style, that was expected to carry over from previous club when he began his tenure after the recent tournament but, as yet, both are still a ongoing development.
Commercial Considerations
When private equity firm Silver Lake acquired shares in All Blacks in 2022, the subsequent announcement mentioned the "quest of worldwide growth" for the brand.
That task has perhaps been more challenging by the shortage of a international celebrity. Ardie Savea and the group of family members continue to be well-known figures in the game, but the concentration of talented players has become more diverse. Savea is the single All Black to earn global recognition in the recent years, in comparison to 10 in multiple seasons between 2005 and '07.
Worldwide Reach
Instead, attempts have been undertaken to transplant the All Blacks into emerging regions.
The initial stage of this European campaign brings New Zealand not to Dublin but Chicago, a return to the location where Ireland achieved a first ever victory in the fixture nine years ago.
After the reduction of Covid-19 travel restrictions, the All Blacks have also
