Can the New Zealand rugby team rediscover their spark during the fall tour?
Aiming for what would be just a fifth 'Grand Slam' in their illustrious legacy, the All Blacks have traveled to Europe at an interesting juncture.
Games against the Irish team, the Scottish side, the English squad and Wales await the All Blacks across the upcoming weeks but, beyond the chance to join the sides of 1978, 2005, 2008 and 2010 in the annals of rugby, the matches will be used as a benchmark to measure the progress of the team under a head coach now 24 months into from assuming control.
Present Difficulties
Concerns over a absence of an distinctive approach, continuing controversies over player choices and exits from the backroom staff have all contributed to the feeling that the most recognisable team in the rugby is presently one in a period of transition.
Most importantly, it is the decline in results from a past excellence set between the World Cups of 2011 and 2019 that has prompted some to theorize that we have moved out of the period of All Black exceptionalism.
Recent History
Ahead of their journey for the fall series, it was announced that during the following season, in the lack of the Rugby Championship, the All Blacks will face the Springboks in a summer series termed 'a unique competition'.
Traditionally the rugby's premier teams, there is little doubt over who has lately dominated of what organizers 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 team of their generation.
The All Blacks have continued to defeat the Irish team when it is crucial, defeating Saturday's opponents in the global competition of the past two tournaments. They have, at the same time, been defeated in just a couple of the recent encounters with the English team, have overcome the Welsh side in all matches since 1963 and have never suffered defeat by the Scottish team.
Changing Dynamics
But the diminishment of their position as the game's gold standard will continue to rankle.
Although the New Zealand team dominated through the 2010s - winning 87% of their international games, as well as lifting the World Cup on two occasions - the World Cup of 2019 can now be seen as when the balance of power changed in the world sport.
New Zealand beat the Springboks in their first game of the tournament in Japan, but it was the South Africans who were ultimately triumphant in the final.
After that event, the All Blacks' success rate has declined to seventy-one percent. South Africa themselves lost 10 of their subsequent fixtures but, from the beginning of last year, have achieved victory at a percentage (83%) to compete with even the former Kiwi champions.
Direct Competition
During the same period, the Springboks have won the majority of the recent encounters between the sides, featuring triumph in the recent championship match.
While securing their latest regional title, the Springboks administered a record 43-10 defeat on the New Zealand team through overwhelming display in Wellington, a result which has ignited another series of controversy concerning the direction of the side under Robertson.
Maybe most jarring for fans of the All Blacks will be that, allied to their usual power, South Africa's achievement has come with an offensive flair more commonly connected with their opposition team.
Style Evolution
When the New Zealand team were at the height of their capabilities 10 years ago, they were a ruthless counter-attacking unit equipped of destroying competitors from all areas of the pitch and at any point of the match.
Now, their attacking style is unclear as the coach, who has given 19 debuts during his recent tenure in charge, tries to initially build the more prosaic core elements of a winning team.
It has already been confirmed that the supporting manager overseeing attack, their offensive coordinator, will leave his role after the fall series, making him the second member of Robertson's ticket to leave after another coach walked away last year after just limited matches.
Performance Gap
It was not just previous achievements, but his methodology, that was anticipated to translate from his former team when he assumed control after the 2023 World Cup but, so far, each remain a work in progress.
Organizational Strategy
When financial organization Silver Lake bought a stake in New Zealand rugby in the past, the following communication mentioned the "search of new global opportunities" for the brand.
That objective has perhaps been harder by the absence of a international celebrity. Their key player and the collection of Barrett brothers remain well-known figures in the rugby, but the spread of talented players has expanded significantly. The captain is the sole New Zealand player to win World Player of the Year in the past six seasons, in contrast to ten awards in over a decade between 2005 and '07.
Global Expansion
Rather, attempts have been implemented to transplant the New Zealand team into emerging regions.
The first leg of this northern hemisphere series brings the All Blacks not to Dublin but the American city, a return to the Soldier Field venue where the Irish team achieved a first ever victory in the contest during past tours.
After the relaxation of health protocols, the All Blacks have additionally
