Can the All Blacks regain their spark this autumn?
Pursuing what would be just a fifth tour victory in their illustrious legacy, the New Zealand side have headed north at an interesting juncture.
Matches against the Irish team, the Scottish side, the English squad and Wales await the New Zealand team across the next four weekends but, quite aside from the opportunity to join the teams of previous successful tours in the history books, the matches will be used as a measure to assess the progress of the side under a head coach now well established from beginning his tenure.
Present Difficulties
Questions over a shortage of an identifiable style, enduring debates over player choices and exits from the coaching ticket have all added to the sense that the most famous squad in the sport is currently one in a time of change.
Most importantly, it is the dip in performances from a historic high watermark set between the global tournaments of 2011 and 2019 that has caused some to speculate that we have moved out of the period of All Black exceptionalism.
Team Record
Before their travel for the European tour, it was revealed that during the following season, in the non-existence of the Rugby Championship, New Zealand will play South Africa in a warm-weather tour dubbed 'an unprecedented series'.
In the past the game's two strongest sides, there is no question over who has currently outperformed of what marketers have called 'The Ultimate Contest'.
In recent seasons, the South African team have won a two of global tournaments, three southern hemisphere titles and a competition against the British and Irish Lions to be regarded as the team of their period.
New Zealand have maintained to overcome Ireland when it counts most, overcoming Saturday's opponents in the World Cup quarter finals of 2019 and '23. They have, additionally, been defeated in just a couple of the recent encounters with the English team, have beaten the Welsh side in each game since the sixties and have never suffered defeat by the Scottish team.
Evolving Landscape
But the loss of their standing as the sport's measure of excellence will remain frustrating.
Although the All Blacks dominated through the last ten years - securing eighty-seven percent of their Test matches, as well as winning the Webb Ellis on multiple times - the World Cup of the previous competition can now be seen as when the hierarchical structure moved in the world sport.
New Zealand defeated the Springboks in their initial fixture of the competition in Japan, but it was the South Africans who were ultimately triumphant in Yokohama.
After that event, the New Zealand's winning percentage has fallen to 71%. South Africa themselves were defeated in ten of their following games but, since the start of last year, have achieved victory at a frequency (83%) to rival even the previous All Blacks side.
Recent Encounters
During the equivalent timeframe, the 'Boks have won the majority of the seven meetings between the teams, including success in the recent championship match.
During their pursuit of their most recent regional title, South Africa administered a historic loss on the All Blacks courtesy of dominant performance in the capital, a score which has sparked another round of discussion concerning the direction of the team under Robertson.
Maybe most jarring for supporters of the New Zealand team will be that, alongside their traditional strength, the Springboks' triumph has come with an offensive flair more commonly connected with their own side.
Playing Philosophy
During the period when the All Blacks were at the height of their powers in previous eras, they were a clinical transition team capable of dismantling rivals from all areas of the field and at all times of the game.
Currently, their attacking style is unclear as their leader, who has awarded multiple new players during his two years in command, tries to first establish the more prosaic building blocks of a successful side.
It has recently revealed that the supporting manager in charge of scoring, the current coach, will leave his role after the fall series, making him the second member of the coaching staff to depart after Leon MacDonald left last year after just limited matches.
Performance Gap
It was not only Robertson's success, but his approach, that was anticipated to transfer from his former team when he assumed control after the recent tournament but, so far, each remain a continuous improvement.
Commercial Considerations
After private equity firm Silver Lake bought a stake in New Zealand rugby in recent years, the ensuing statement discussed the "quest of international expansion" for the brand.
That task has perhaps been more difficult by the lack of a global icon. Ardie Savea and the trio of Barrett brothers remain household names in the rugby, but the spread of stars has expanded significantly. Their leader is the only New Zealand player to earn international honors in the recent years, in contrast to 10 in multiple seasons between previous generations.
Worldwide Reach
Instead, efforts have been undertaken to transplant the New Zealand team into previously untapped markets.
The initial stage of this 'Grand Slam' tour brings the All Blacks not to Dublin but the American city, a return to the location where the Irish team obtained a first ever victory in the match nine years ago.
Following the easing of health protocols, the New Zealand team have furthermore
