Can the All Blacks regain their winning form in the upcoming matches?
Aiming for what would be just a fifth northern hemisphere clean sweep in their legendary past, the New Zealand side have embarked on their tour at an pivotal moment.
Matches against the Irish team, the Scottish side, England and Wales await Scott Robertson's side across the next four weekends but, beyond the possibility to match the sides of previous successful tours in the history books, the fixtures will be used as a benchmark to evaluate the progress of the side under a head coach now well established from assuming control.
Team Issues
Concerns over a shortage of an clear playing identity, ongoing discussions over player choices and leavings from the backroom staff have all fueled the sense that the most famous squad in the sport is now one in a time of change.
Most significantly, it is the dip in outcomes from a previous peak set between the World Cups of the last decade that has led some to theorize that we have transitioned away of the era of All Black exceptionalism.
Recent History
Prior to their journey for the fall series, it was confirmed that in the coming year, in the non-existence of the southern hemisphere competition, the All Blacks will meet South Africa in a summer series termed '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 labeled 'The Premier Rivalry'.
During the last decade, the South African team have won a pair of World Cups, three Rugby Championships and a series against the home nations team to be viewed as the squad of their period.
The All Blacks have maintained to beat the Irish team when it counts most, beating Saturday's opponents in the global competition of 2019 and '23. They have, at the same time, lost just two of the recent encounters with England, have defeated Wales in every encounter since 1963 and have remained unbeaten by Scotland.
Evolving Landscape
But the loss of their standing as the sport's measure of excellence will remain frustrating.
Although the New Zealand team excelled through the 2010s - securing eighty-seven percent of their fixtures, as well as lifting the World Cup on multiple times - the World Cup of 2019 can now be regarded as when the balance of power shifted in the global game.
New Zealand defeated South Africa in their first game of the tournament 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 lost 10 of their following games but, since the start of last year, have achieved victory at a percentage (83%) to rival even the former Kiwi champions.
Direct Competition
Throughout the comparable duration, the 'Boks have won five of the recent encounters between the sides, featuring triumph in the 2023 World Cup final.
While securing their latest regional title, South Africa delivered a significant beating on the All Blacks courtesy of overwhelming display in the capital, a score which has ignited another wave of discussion concerning the direction of the squad under Robertson.
Possibly most concerning for fans of the New Zealand team will be that, allied to their traditional strength, the Springboks' success has come with an offensive flair more typically linked with their opposition team.
Playing Philosophy
When the New Zealand team were at the zenith of their powers in previous eras, they were a devastating offensive machine equipped of destroying opponents from all areas of the playing surface and at any point of the match.
Today, their attacking style is less defined as the coach, who has handed out 19 debuts during his two years in control, tries to initially build the basic building blocks of a winning team.
It has already been confirmed that the assistant coach overseeing offense, the current coach, will leave his role after the upcoming matches, making him the second member of management team to exit after another coach left last year after just five Tests.
Expectations vs Reality
It was not merely previous achievements, but his methodology, that was anticipated to transfer from his former team when he assumed control after the recent tournament but, as yet, the two aspects remain a continuous improvement.
Business Factors
When financial organization Silver Lake acquired shares in All Blacks in 2022, the subsequent announcement spoke of the "pursuit of international expansion" for the organization.
That task has perhaps been more challenging by the shortage of a global icon. Their key player and the trio of related players are still household names in the sport, but the distribution of key individuals has become more diverse. The captain is the sole All Black to win global recognition in the current era, in contrast to 10 in over a decade between 2005 and '07.
Worldwide Reach
Instead, attempts have been made to transplant the All Blacks into emerging regions.
The first leg of this European campaign brings New Zealand not to the Irish capital but Chicago, a comeback to the Soldier Field venue where Ireland secured a landmark success in the contest nine years ago.
After the relaxation of Covid-19 travel restrictions, the New Zealand team have also
