Will the New Zealand rugby team rediscover their spark 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 crucial period.
Games against Ireland, Scotland, the English squad and the Welsh team await Scott Robertson's side across the next four weekends but, in addition to the possibility to equal the squads of 1978, 2005, 2008 and 2010 in the record books, the matches will be used as a yardstick to evaluate the improvement of the side under a manager now 24 months into from taking up the reins.
Present Difficulties
Doubts over a lack of an distinctive approach, enduring debates over team picks and exits from the management team have all added to the feeling that the most recognisable team in the sport is currently one in a period of transition.
Most importantly, it is the drop in outcomes from a historic high watermark set between the World Cups of the last decade that has prompted some to suggest that we have evolved beyond of the era of All Black exceptionalism.
Recent History
Ahead of their departure for the European tour, it was confirmed that next year, in the absence of the southern hemisphere competition, the All Blacks will play the Springboks in a off-season matches dubbed 'a tour like no other'.
In the past the game's two strongest sides, there is clear agreement over who has currently outperformed of what organizers have labeled 'The Ultimate Contest'.
In recent seasons, the Springboks have secured a two of global tournaments, three Rugby Championships and a tour against the British and Irish Lions to be regarded as the side of their era.
New Zealand have persisted to defeat the Irish team when it counts most, overcoming this weekend's rivals in the World Cup quarter finals of the past two tournaments. They have, at the same time, lost just a couple of the last fixtures with England, have defeated Wales in each game since the sixties and have never suffered defeat by Scotland.
Changing Dynamics
But the decline of their standing as the rugby's benchmark will persist as an irritation.
Although the New Zealand team reigned supreme through the 2010s - achieving 87% of their international games, as well as claiming the World Cup on multiple times - the World Cup of 2019 can now be viewed as when the balance of power moved in the international rugby.
The All Blacks defeated the Springboks in their opening match of the tournament in the host nation, but it was the South Africans who were ultimately triumphant in Yokohama.
Since then, the All Blacks' success rate has declined to 71%. The Springboks themselves lost 10 of their subsequent fixtures but, commencing of last year, have won at a percentage (eighty-three percent) to compete with even the last great New Zealand team.
Head-to-Head
During the comparable duration, the South African team have secured victory in five of the seven meetings between the sides, including triumph in the recent championship match.
In claiming their current regional title, Rassie Erasmus' side administered a significant beating on the New Zealand team courtesy of dominant performance in their home ground, a score which has sparked another wave of discussion regarding the direction of the side under Robertson.
Maybe most jarring for supporters of the New Zealand team will be that, combined with their traditional strength, the Springboks' success has come with an attacking verve more commonly connected with their traditional rivals.
Style Evolution
During the period when the All Blacks were at the peak of their abilities 10 years ago, they were a devastating offensive machine able of destroying competitors 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 numerous first caps during his recent tenure in control, tries to initially build the more prosaic foundations of a competitive squad.
It has already been confirmed that the backroom staff member overseeing offense, their offensive coordinator, will depart his position after the upcoming matches, becoming the additional person of the coaching staff to leave after another coach left last year after just a handful of games.
Team Development
It was not merely Robertson's success, but his approach, that was predicted to carry over from Crusaders when he took over after the 2023 World Cup but, to date, both remain a ongoing development.
Organizational Strategy
Following private equity firm the company bought a stake in All Blacks in 2022, the ensuing statement discussed the "pursuit of worldwide growth" for the organization.
That goal has perhaps been more difficult by the absence of a international celebrity. The current captain and the collection of related players remain well-known figures in the game, but the distribution of key individuals has expanded significantly. Their leader is the single New Zealand player to earn World Player of the Year in the recent years, in comparison to ten awards in 13 years between the mid-2000s.
International Growth
Rather, initiatives have been implemented to introduce the New Zealand team into previously untapped markets.
The initial stage of this northern hemisphere series brings New Zealand not to Dublin but Chicago, a revisit to the Soldier Field venue where Ireland achieved a landmark success in the match in previous seasons.
After the reduction of health protocols, the New Zealand team have also