Will the All Blacks regain their winning form this autumn?
Seeking what would be just a fifth northern hemisphere clean sweep in their illustrious legacy, the New Zealand side have headed north at an crucial period.
Games against Ireland, Scotland, the English squad and Wales await Scott Robertson's side across the upcoming weeks but, beyond the chance to match the squads of previous successful tours in the history books, the games will be used as a yardstick to evaluate the progress of the squad under a manager now 24 months into from taking up the reins.
Team Issues
Doubts over a lack of an identifiable style, continuing controversies over team picks and exits from the coaching ticket have all fueled the perception that the most famous squad in the rugby is currently one in a period of transition.
Most pertinently, it is the dip in results from a previous peak set between the World Cups of the last decade that has caused some to suggest that we have moved out of the era of New Zealand dominance.
Past Performance
Ahead of their departure for the northern hemisphere, it was confirmed that during the following season, in the non-existence of the southern hemisphere competition, the All Blacks will play the Springboks in a off-season matches termed 'a tour like no other'.
Traditionally the sport's top competitors, there is clear agreement 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 Rugby Championships and a tour against the British and Irish Lions to be viewed as the team of their era.
The All Blacks have continued to defeat Ireland when it counts most, defeating this weekend's rivals in the global competition of the past two tournaments. They have, meanwhile, been defeated in just a couple of the last fixtures with England, have defeated the Welsh side in all matches since 1963 and have never suffered defeat by the Scottish team.
Shifting Balance
But the diminishment of their position as the sport's measure of excellence will persist as an irritation.
While the All Blacks dominated through the 2010s - securing 87% of their international games, as well as lifting the global trophy on two occasions - the World Cup of 2019 can now be viewed as when the balance of power shifted in the world sport.
The All Blacks defeated the Springboks in their opening match of the tournament in the host nation, but it was the Boks' who were ultimately triumphant in the final.
From that point, the New Zealand's success rate has declined to 71%. South Africa themselves lost 10 of their following games but, since the start of 2023, have achieved victory at a percentage (eighty-three percent) to match even the last great New Zealand team.
Head-to-Head
During the comparable duration, the Springboks have secured victory in five of the past fixtures between the teams, comprising triumph in the recent championship match.
During their pursuit of their most recent southern hemisphere crown, South Africa administered a record 43-10 defeat on the New Zealand team courtesy of overwhelming display in Wellington, a outcome which has sparked another series of discussion concerning the direction of the team under their leader.
Maybe most troubling for supporters of the All Blacks will be that, allied to their characteristic physicality, the Springboks' success has come with an offensive flair more usually associated with their opposition team.
Style Evolution
During the period when the New Zealand team were at the zenith of their powers 10 years ago, they were a devastating offensive machine able of dismantling rivals from any part of the playing surface and at any moment of the contest.
Today, their attacking style is less defined as the coach, who has awarded numerous first caps during his recent tenure in command, tries to primarily create the fundamental building blocks of a competitive squad.
It has already been confirmed that the assistant coach in charge of offense, their offensive coordinator, will exit the team after the upcoming matches, making him the next individual of management team to leave after Leon MacDonald left last year after just five Tests.
Team Development
It was not just previous achievements, but his methodology, that was anticipated to translate from his former team when he began his tenure after the global competition but, so far, the two aspects are still a ongoing development.
Organizational Strategy
When financial organization Silver Lake invested capital in All Blacks in recent years, the following communication discussed the "pursuit of new global opportunities" for the team.
That objective has maybe been harder by the absence of a global icon. Their key player and the trio of family members are still household names in the game, but the spread of key individuals has never been spread wider. The captain is the only New Zealand player to earn World Player of the Year in the recent years, in contrast to ten awards in multiple seasons between previous generations.
Global Expansion
Alternatively, initiatives have been implemented to introduce the New Zealand team into new territories.
The first leg of this 'Grand Slam' tour brings the All Blacks not to Dublin but the American city, a comeback to the location where the Irish team secured a historic win in the contest during past tours.
Since the easing of health protocols, the New Zealand team have furthermore
