Can the All Blacks regain their winning form during the fall tour?
Seeking what would be just a fifth 'Grand Slam' in their legendary past, the All Blacks have headed north at an pivotal moment.
Fixtures against Ireland, Scotland, England and Wales await Scott Robertson's side across the next four weekends but, beyond the possibility to join the sides of previous successful tours in the history books, the fixtures will be used as a benchmark to evaluate the improvement of the team under a manager now two years on from taking up the reins.
Team Issues
Doubts over a absence of an clear playing identity, continuing controversies over player choices and leavings from the backroom staff have all added to the sense that the most recognisable team in the sport is currently one in a time of change.
Most pertinently, it is the decline in performances from a previous peak set between the global tournaments of the last decade that has caused some to speculate that we have moved out of the age of All Black exceptionalism.
Recent History
Prior to their journey for the northern hemisphere, it was announced that next year, in the non-existence of the Rugby Championship, New Zealand will meet the Springboks in a off-season matches called '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 described 'The Premier Rivalry'.
During the last decade, the Springboks have secured a couple of World Cups, three Rugby Championships and a competition against the northern hemisphere selection to be viewed as the team of their era.
New Zealand have persisted to beat Ireland when it is crucial, defeating their next challengers in the tournament knockout stages of 2019 and '23. They have, meanwhile, been defeated in just a couple of the last fixtures with England, have beaten the Welsh side in every encounter since the sixties and have always been victorious by the Scottish team.
Shifting Balance
But the diminishment of their status as the game's gold standard will persist as an irritation.
Although the All Blacks dominated through the 2010s - securing 87% of their Test matches, as well as winning the global trophy on several instances - the global tournament of the previous competition can now be seen as when the competitive landscape changed in the world sport.
The All Blacks overcame the Springboks in their first game of the competition 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. The Springboks themselves were defeated in ten of their following games but, from the beginning of last year, have won at a rate (eighty-three percent) to compete with even the last great New Zealand team.
Recent Encounters
During the same period, the Springboks have won five of the recent encounters between the sides, featuring success in the recent championship match.
In claiming their latest continental championship, the Springboks inflicted a record 43-10 defeat on the All Blacks through 36 unanswered second-half points in Wellington, a score which has ignited another series of debate regarding the development of the side under Robertson.
Possibly most concerning for fans of the All Blacks will be that, combined with their characteristic physicality, South Africa's achievement has come with an offensive flair more typically linked with their traditional rivals.
Style Evolution
During the period when the New Zealand team were at the height of their abilities a decade past, they were a ruthless counter-attacking unit capable of shredding opponents from all areas of the pitch and at all times of the game.
Today, their offensive approach is more ambiguous as Robertson, who has handed out multiple new players during his two years in command, tries to initially build the more prosaic building blocks of a competitive squad.
It has previously announced that the backroom staff member responsible for scoring, Jason Holland, will leave his role after the upcoming matches, becoming the next individual of the coaching staff to depart after previous staff member walked away last year after just five Tests.
Expectations vs Reality
It was not just Robertson's success, but his approach, that was predicted to carry over from Crusaders when he assumed control after the recent tournament but, to date, each continue to be a work in progress.
Commercial Considerations
After private equity firm the company bought a stake in All Blacks in 2022, the subsequent announcement discussed the "quest of international expansion" for the brand.
That task has perhaps been more challenging by the absence of a crossover star. Ardie Savea and the trio of family members are still recognizable personalities in the rugby, but the concentration of key individuals has expanded significantly. Their leader is the single All Black to earn global recognition in the current era, in opposition to 10 in 13 years between previous generations.
Worldwide Reach
Rather, initiatives have been undertaken to transplant the All Blacks into emerging regions.
The first leg of this 'Grand Slam' tour brings New Zealand not to the Irish capital but Chicago, a return to the location where Ireland achieved a historic win in the fixture nine years ago.
Following the easing of Covid-19 travel restrictions, the New Zealand team have also
