Will the New Zealand rugby team rediscover their winning form during the fall tour?
Aiming for what would be just a fifth 'Grand Slam' in their illustrious legacy, the All Blacks have headed north at an interesting juncture.
Games against Ireland, Scotland, England and Wales await Scott Robertson's side across the coming month but, beyond the opportunity to join the teams of 1978, 2005, 2008 and 2010 in the annals of rugby, the fixtures will be used as a yardstick to assess the development of the squad under a leader now two years on from assuming control.
Team Issues
Concerns over a shortage of an clear playing identity, ongoing discussions over selection and departures from the backroom staff have all contributed to the sense that the most recognisable team in the game is presently one in a period of transition.
Most pertinently, it is the dip in outcomes from a historic high watermark set between the global tournaments of 2011 and 2019 that has caused some to speculate that we have evolved beyond of the age of All Black exceptionalism.
Past Performance
Prior to their travel for the fall series, it was announced that during the following season, in the lack of the southern hemisphere competition, the All Blacks will meet South Africa in a off-season matches dubbed 'a tour like no other'.
In the past the sport's top competitors, there is clear agreement over who has currently outperformed of what organizers have described 'Rugby's Greatest Rivalry'.
Over the past seven years, the Springboks have won a pair of global tournaments, three Rugby Championships and a tour against the home nations team to be viewed as the team of their generation.
New Zealand have persisted to overcome the Irish team when it counts most, defeating their next challengers in the tournament knockout stages of 2019 and '23. They have, at the same time, lost just a pair of the recent encounters with England, have defeated Wales in each game since over sixty years ago and have always been victorious by the Scottish team.
Changing Dynamics
But the decline of their status as the game's gold standard will remain frustrating.
Although the New Zealand team dominated through the previous decade - winning eighty-seven percent of their Test matches, as well as lifting the Webb Ellis on two occasions - the global tournament of the previous competition can now be seen as when the hierarchical structure moved in the global game.
The All Blacks defeated the Springboks in their opening match of the championship in Japan, but it was the South Africans who were eventually successful in Yokohama.
Since then, the New Zealand's winning percentage has dropped to seventy-one percent. The Springboks themselves were defeated in ten of their subsequent fixtures but, since the start of 2023, have won at a rate (83%) to match even the last great New Zealand team.
Recent Encounters
During the comparable duration, the 'Boks have won five of the recent encounters between the teams, comprising victory in the latest global tournament decider.
In claiming their most recent southern hemisphere crown, Rassie Erasmus' side delivered a significant beating on the New Zealand team thanks to overwhelming display in Wellington, a result which has triggered another wave of controversy regarding the progress of the team under their leader.
Maybe most concerning for fans of the All Blacks will be that, allied to their traditional strength, South Africa's success has come with an attacking verve more commonly connected with their opposition team.
Team Identity
When the New Zealand team were at the zenith of their abilities in previous eras, they were a ruthless counter-attacking unit able of shredding rivals from every section of the pitch and at all times of the game.
Currently, their playing philosophy is less defined as the coach, who has awarded multiple new players during his 24 months in command, tries to initially build the fundamental core elements of a successful side.
It has recently revealed that the assistant coach in charge of attack, their offensive coordinator, will depart his position after the autumn tour, becoming the next individual of the coaching staff to leave after another coach walked away last year after just a handful of games.
Team Development
It was not merely his winning record, but his style, that was anticipated to translate from Crusaders when he took over after the 2023 World Cup but, as yet, each continue to be a ongoing development.
Organizational Strategy
Following investment group investors invested capital in New Zealand rugby in 2022, the following communication spoke of the "quest of new global opportunities" for the team.
That task has perhaps been harder by the lack of a global icon. The current captain and the trio of Barrett brothers continue to be recognizable personalities in the game, but the concentration of stars has become more diverse. The captain is the single New Zealand player to earn World Player of the Year in the recent years, in contrast to 10 in 13 years between the mid-2000s.
Worldwide Reach
Alternatively, efforts have been made to introduce the New Zealand team into previously untapped markets.
The initial stage of this European campaign brings New Zealand not to Dublin but the American city, a return to the location where Ireland obtained a historic win in the fixture in previous seasons.
Since the easing of Covid-19 travel restrictions, the New Zealand team have furthermore