Can the New Zealand rugby team rediscover their magic during the fall tour?
Aiming for what would be just a fifth northern hemisphere clean sweep in their legendary past, the All Blacks have embarked on their tour at an pivotal moment.
Fixtures against the Irish team, Scotland, the English squad and Wales await Scott Robertson's side across the next four weekends but, in addition to the possibility to join the squads of 1978, 2005, 2008 and 2010 in the annals of rugby, the matches will be used as a benchmark to evaluate the improvement of the side under a head coach now two years on from taking up the reins.
Present Difficulties
Concerns over a lack of an identifiable style, ongoing discussions over team picks and leavings from the backroom staff have all added to the sense that the best-known side in the game is now one in a time of change.
Most significantly, it is the decline in results from a past excellence set between the World Cups of the last decade that has led some to suggest that we have evolved beyond of the era of Kiwi superiority.
Recent History
Ahead of their departure for the northern hemisphere, it was announced that during the following season, in the absence of the southern hemisphere competition, the All Blacks will meet the Springboks in a warm-weather tour called 'an unprecedented series'.
In the past the sport's top competitors, there is little doubt over who has recently got the better of what promoters have described 'Rugby's Greatest Rivalry'.
Over the past seven years, the Springboks have secured a couple of World Cups, three Rugby Championships and a competition against the British and Irish Lions to be viewed as the side of their period.
New Zealand have continued to defeat Ireland when it is crucial, defeating this weekend's rivals in the tournament knockout stages of 2019 and '23. They have, at the same time, been defeated in just two of the past 21 meetings with England, have defeated Wales in each game since the sixties and have remained unbeaten by the Scottish team.
Evolving Landscape
But the diminishment of their position as the game's gold standard will remain frustrating.
Whereas the All Blacks dominated through the previous decade - securing eighty-seven percent of their international games, as well as lifting the global trophy on several instances - the World Cup of 2019 can now be seen as when the competitive landscape changed in the world sport.
New Zealand beat the Springboks in their initial fixture of the championship in the host nation, but it was the South Africans who were eventually successful in Yokohama.
From that point, the New Zealand's winning percentage has declined to 71%. South Africa themselves lost ten of their next 26 Test matches but, from the beginning of 2023, have achieved victory at a frequency (83%) to compete with even the former Kiwi champions.
Recent Encounters
During the comparable duration, the South African team have secured victory in five of the past fixtures between the sides, featuring success in the 2023 World Cup final.
In claiming their most recent regional title, Rassie Erasmus' side delivered a historic loss on the All Blacks courtesy of overwhelming display in Wellington, a outcome which has sparked another round of controversy regarding the development of the squad under the coach.
Perhaps most troubling for fans of the All Blacks will be that, combined with their characteristic physicality, South Africa's achievement has come with an offensive flair more usually associated with their opposition team.
Style Evolution
When the All Blacks were at the height of their powers a decade past, they were a clinical transition team equipped of destroying rivals from any part of the pitch and at all times of the game.
Today, their playing philosophy is unclear as their leader, who has given multiple new players during his 24 months in control, tries to first establish the more prosaic core elements of a competitive squad.
It has recently revealed that the assistant coach overseeing attack, the current coach, will depart his position after the fall series, becoming the additional person of the coaching staff to leave after previous staff member departed last year after just limited matches.
Performance Gap
It was not only previous achievements, but his style, that was anticipated to transfer from his former team when he began his tenure after the recent tournament but, to date, each continue to be a work in progress.
Business Factors
When financial organization Silver Lake bought a stake in New Zealand rugby in recent years, the ensuing statement spoke of the "pursuit of new global opportunities" for the organization.
That goal has maybe been harder by the shortage of a international celebrity. Ardie Savea and the group of Barrett brothers are still well-known figures in the sport, but the distribution of stars has become more diverse. The captain is the only All Black to receive global recognition in the current era, in opposition to ten awards in over a decade between 2005 and '07.
Worldwide Reach
Alternatively, attempts have been implemented to transplant the New Zealand team into new territories.
The first leg of this 'Grand Slam' tour brings New Zealand not to Dublin but Chicago, a revisit to the Soldier Field venue where Ireland secured a first ever victory in the fixture during past tours.
Following the reduction of health protocols, the New Zealand team have also
