Will the All Blacks find their spark during the fall tour?
Pursuing what would be just a fifth 'Grand Slam' in their storied history, the New Zealand side have embarked on their tour at an interesting juncture.
Games against Ireland, the Scottish side, England and Wales await Scott Robertson's side across the upcoming weeks but, in addition to the possibility to match the teams of 1978, 2005, 2008 and 2010 in the annals of rugby, the fixtures will be used as a measure to assess the development of the side under a leader now two years on from taking up the reins.
Current Challenges
Concerns over a lack of an identifiable style, continuing controversies over selection and leavings from the coaching ticket have all added to the perception that the most famous squad in the rugby is now one in a time of change.
Most significantly, it is the dip in results 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.
Recent History
Prior to their travel for the European tour, it was confirmed that during the following season, in the non-existence of the Rugby Championship, the All Blacks will play the Springboks in a off-season matches called 'a unique competition'.
In the past the rugby's premier teams, there is little doubt over who has currently outperformed of what promoters have labeled 'The Premier Rivalry'.
During the last decade, the South African team have won a pair of global tournaments, three southern hemisphere titles and a tour against the home nations team to be viewed as the squad of their generation.
New Zealand have continued to overcome Ireland when it counts most, defeating Saturday's opponents in the World Cup quarter finals of 2019 and '23. They have, additionally, lost just two of the recent encounters with England, have beaten Wales in each game since over sixty years ago and have never suffered defeat by Scotland.
Evolving Landscape
But the loss of their status as the rugby's benchmark will continue to rankle.
Although the All Blacks excelled through the previous decade - winning eighty-seven percent of their fixtures, as well as claiming the global trophy on several instances - the global tournament of the previous competition can now be seen as when the competitive landscape changed in the global game.
New Zealand overcame the Springboks in their first game of the championship in the host nation, but it was the Boks' who were ultimately triumphant in the championship match.
After that event, the New Zealand's victory ratio has dropped to seventy-one percent. The Springboks themselves were defeated in 10 of their next 26 Test matches but, from the beginning of last year, have achieved victory at a rate (eighty-three percent) to rival even the previous All Blacks side.
Direct Competition
Over the equivalent timeframe, the Springboks have secured victory in the majority of the seven meetings between the opponents, including victory in the recent championship match.
During their pursuit of their most recent continental championship, the Springboks delivered a historic loss on the All Blacks courtesy of 36 unanswered second-half points in their home ground, a score which has ignited another round of debate regarding the development of the team under their leader.
Possibly most concerning for fans of the All Blacks will be that, allied to their characteristic physicality, the Springboks' achievement has come with an attacking verve more commonly connected with their opposition team.
Team Identity
At the time that the New Zealand team were at the peak of their powers a decade past, they were a ruthless counter-attacking unit able of shredding competitors from all areas of the pitch and at all times of the match.
Now, their offensive approach is unclear as Robertson, who has handed out multiple new players during his recent tenure in control, tries to first establish the fundamental core elements of a successful side.
It has previously announced that the supporting manager in charge of scoring, Jason Holland, will exit the team after the fall series, making him the second member of management team to depart after Leon MacDonald walked away last year after just a handful of games.
Performance Gap
It was not only his winning record, but his methodology, that was predicted to carry over from previous club when he took over after the 2023 World Cup but, as yet, the two aspects are still a ongoing development.
Business Factors
Following private equity firm the company acquired shares in All Blacks in 2022, the following communication spoke of the "pursuit of international expansion" for the brand.
That task has perhaps been more difficult by the absence of a crossover star. Their key player and the group of Barrett brothers continue to be recognizable personalities in the sport, but the distribution of stars has become more diverse. Their leader is the sole New Zealand player to earn global recognition in the current era, in comparison to ten awards in 13 years between 2005 and '07.
Global Expansion
Alternatively, attempts have been made to establish the All Blacks into previously untapped markets.
The opening phase of this 'Grand Slam' tour brings the All Blacks not to Dublin but Chicago, a revisit to the Soldier Field venue where the Irish team obtained a historic win in the contest in previous seasons.
Following the reduction of health protocols, the New Zealand team have furthermore
