Can the All Blacks find their spark this autumn?
Pursuing what would be just a fifth northern hemisphere clean sweep in their storied history, the New Zealand side have embarked on their tour at an crucial period.
Fixtures against the Irish team, Scotland, England and Wales await the New Zealand team across the upcoming weeks but, beyond the possibility to match the squads of previous successful tours in the history books, the games will be used as a benchmark to measure the improvement of the squad under a head coach now two years on from beginning his tenure.
Team Issues
Doubts over a lack of an clear playing identity, ongoing discussions over team picks and leavings from the management team have all contributed to the perception that the best-known side in the rugby is currently one in a period of transition.
Most pertinently, it is the dip in performances from a past excellence set between the World Cups of 2011 and 2019 that has prompted some to suggest that we have evolved beyond of the age of Kiwi superiority.
Past Performance
Before their departure for the fall series, it was announced that in the coming year, in the absence of the Rugby Championship, the All Blacks will meet the Springboks in a summer series termed 'a unique competition'.
Historically the sport's top competitors, there is clear agreement over who has recently got the better of what promoters have labeled 'The Ultimate Contest'.
Over the past seven years, the Springboks have won a two of global tournaments, three southern hemisphere titles and a competition against the northern hemisphere selection to be viewed as the team of their period.
New Zealand have continued to defeat Ireland when it matters most, defeating Saturday's opponents in the World Cup quarter finals of recent years. They have, at the same time, lost just two of the last fixtures with England, have overcome Wales in all matches since 1963 and have always been victorious by the Scottish team.
Evolving Landscape
But the decline of their standing as the game's gold standard will remain frustrating.
While the New Zealand team reigned supreme through the 2010s - achieving 87% of their international games, as well as winning the global trophy on two occasions - the global tournament of 2019 can now be viewed as when the balance of power changed in the world sport.
New Zealand beat the Springboks in their initial fixture of the competition in the host nation, but it was the Boks' who were ultimately triumphant in the final.
After that event, the All Blacks' victory ratio has declined to 71%. The Springboks themselves lost ten of their next 26 Test matches but, commencing of last year, have won at a frequency (eighty-three percent) to compete with even the previous All Blacks side.
Head-to-Head
Over the same period, the 'Boks have secured victory in five of the recent encounters between the teams, featuring success in the recent championship match.
During their pursuit of their most recent regional title, South Africa administered a record 43-10 defeat on the All Blacks courtesy of overwhelming display in the capital, a outcome which has triggered another wave of discussion concerning the direction of the squad under Robertson.
Maybe most jarring for followers of the New Zealand team will be that, alongside their traditional strength, the Springboks' achievement has come with an creative approach more usually associated with their traditional rivals.
Team Identity
During the period when the All Blacks were at the zenith of their abilities in previous eras, they were a devastating offensive machine equipped of dismantling rivals from all areas of the playing surface and at all times of the contest.
Today, their playing philosophy is less defined as their leader, who has given 19 debuts during his two years in control, tries to initially build the more prosaic core elements of a winning team.
It has recently revealed that the supporting manager in charge of scoring, Jason Holland, will exit the team after the autumn tour, making him the additional person of the coaching staff 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 expected to translate from Crusaders when he assumed control after the recent tournament but, so far, the two aspects remain a continuous improvement.
Business Factors
Following financial organization the company acquired shares in All Blacks in recent years, the ensuing statement discussed the "pursuit of international expansion" for the organization.
That objective has maybe been harder by the lack of a international celebrity. Ardie Savea and the collection of related players remain well-known figures in the game, but the distribution of key individuals has never been spread wider. The captain is the single New Zealand player to earn global recognition in the current era, in contrast to ten awards in 13 years between the mid-2000s.
International Growth
Rather, initiatives have been implemented to establish the New Zealand team into new territories.
The initial stage of this European campaign brings New Zealand not to Dublin but Chicago, a revisit to the stadium where the Irish team achieved a historic win in the contest during past tours.
Following the easing of pandemic limitations, the New Zealand team have furthermore
