Can the New Zealand rugby team find 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 traveled to Europe at an pivotal moment.
Fixtures against Ireland, Scotland, the English squad and Wales await Scott Robertson's side across the upcoming weeks but, in addition to the opportunity to join the sides of previous successful tours in the annals of rugby, the matches will be used as a measure to measure the progress of the side under a head coach now two years on from beginning his tenure.
Team Issues
Concerns over a shortage of an clear playing identity, ongoing discussions over team picks and exits from the backroom staff have all contributed to the sense that the most famous squad in the rugby is currently one in a state of flux.
Most importantly, it is the dip in outcomes from a past excellence set between the World Cups of 2011 and 2019 that has caused some to theorize that we have moved out of the period of All Black exceptionalism.
Recent History
Prior to their travel for the European tour, it was revealed that in the coming year, in the non-existence of the Rugby Championship, the All Blacks will face South Africa in a warm-weather tour dubbed 'a tour like no other'.
In the past the rugby's premier teams, there is clear agreement over who has lately dominated of what marketers have labeled 'The Ultimate Contest'.
In recent seasons, the South African team have won a two of global tournaments, three Rugby Championships and a competition against the home nations team to be considered as the squad of their era.
New Zealand have maintained to defeat Ireland when it matters most, overcoming their next challengers in the World Cup quarter finals of the past two tournaments. They have, additionally, been defeated in just a pair of the last fixtures with England, have beaten Wales in every encounter since over sixty years ago and have never suffered defeat by the Scottish team.
Shifting Balance
But the decline of their standing as the rugby's benchmark will continue to rankle.
Whereas the All Blacks reigned supreme through the last ten years - winning 87% of their international games, as well as lifting the global trophy on several instances - the global tournament of 2019 can now be regarded as when the balance of power changed in the global game.
The All Blacks defeated South Africa in their initial fixture of the championship in the host nation, but it was the South Africans who were finally victorious in Yokohama.
From that point, the New Zealand's victory ratio has dropped to seventy-one percent. The Springboks themselves lost 10 of their subsequent fixtures but, since the start of last year, have achieved victory at a frequency (83%) to compete with even the last great New Zealand team.
Recent Encounters
During the equivalent timeframe, the 'Boks have won five of the past fixtures between the teams, featuring triumph in the 2023 World Cup final.
In claiming their current southern hemisphere crown, South Africa inflicted a historic loss on the All Blacks thanks to overwhelming display in the capital, a outcome which has ignited another wave of controversy concerning the development of the side under the coach.
Perhaps most concerning for followers of the All Blacks will be that, allied to their usual power, South Africa's triumph has come with an creative approach more usually associated with their opposition team.
Style Evolution
At the time that the New Zealand team were at the height of their capabilities a decade past, they were a devastating offensive machine able of dismantling competitors from any part of the field and at all times of the contest.
Today, their offensive approach is more ambiguous as Robertson, who has given multiple new players during his 24 months in command, tries to first establish the more prosaic core elements of a winning team.
It has recently revealed that the supporting manager in charge of offense, the current coach, will leave his role after the upcoming matches, making him the next individual of management team to depart after another coach departed last year after just limited matches.
Performance Gap
It was not only his winning record, but his style, that was anticipated to transfer from previous club when he began his tenure after the global competition but, to date, each are still a work in progress.
Organizational Strategy
After financial organization investors acquired shares in New Zealand rugby in recent years, the subsequent announcement discussed the "quest of new global opportunities" for the brand.
That task has perhaps been more difficult by the absence of a crossover star. Ardie Savea and the collection of related players continue to be well-known figures in the game, but the spread of stars has become more diverse. The captain is the only New Zealand player to win global recognition in the past six seasons, in contrast to ten awards in 13 years between the mid-2000s.
International Growth
Rather, attempts have been implemented to transplant the New Zealand team into new territories.
The initial stage of this European campaign brings New Zealand not to Dublin but the American city, a comeback to the stadium where the Irish team achieved a first ever victory in the contest in previous seasons.
After the relaxation of Covid-19 travel restrictions, the New Zealand team have furthermore