Will the All Blacks regain their winning form this autumn?
Aiming for what would be just a fifth tour victory in their illustrious legacy, the All Blacks have traveled to Europe at an interesting juncture.
Matches against the Irish team, the Scottish side, England and the Welsh team await the All Blacks across the upcoming weeks but, in addition to the possibility to match the teams of 1978, 2005, 2008 and 2010 in the annals of rugby, the matches will be used as a benchmark to assess the progress of the side under a leader now 24 months into from assuming control.
Current Challenges
Doubts over a shortage of an clear playing identity, continuing controversies over team picks and leavings from the backroom staff have all fueled the feeling that the most recognisable team in the rugby is presently one in a state of flux.
Most significantly, it is the decline in outcomes from a historic high watermark set between the global tournaments of 2011 and 2019 that has caused some to suggest that we have transitioned away of the age of Kiwi superiority.
Recent History
Ahead of their journey for the northern hemisphere, it was confirmed that in the coming year, in the lack of the Rugby Championship, the All Blacks will meet the Springboks in a warm-weather tour called 'a tour like no other'.
Historically the game's two strongest sides, there is little doubt over who has currently outperformed of what marketers have labeled 'The Premier Rivalry'.
Over the past seven years, the Springboks have claimed a couple of global tournaments, three southern hemisphere titles and a tour against the home nations team to be viewed as the side of their era.
New Zealand have continued to defeat Ireland when it is crucial, overcoming this weekend's rivals in the World Cup quarter finals of the past two tournaments. They have, meanwhile, lost just two of the last fixtures with the English team, have beaten the Welsh side in all matches since over sixty years ago and have never suffered defeat by the Scottish team.
Shifting Balance
But the diminishment of their status as the rugby's benchmark will remain frustrating.
While the New Zealand team reigned supreme through the 2010s - winning eighty-seven percent of their fixtures, as well as winning the global trophy on multiple times - the global tournament of 2019 can now be regarded as when the competitive landscape moved in the world sport.
The All Blacks overcame the Springboks in their first game of the competition in Japan, but it was the Boks' who were ultimately triumphant in Yokohama.
Since then, the All Blacks' success rate has fallen to 71%. South Africa themselves lost 10 of their subsequent fixtures but, since the start of last year, have achieved victory at a percentage (eighty-three percent) to match even the last great New Zealand team.
Head-to-Head
Throughout the same period, the 'Boks have won five of the recent encounters between the opponents, including success in the recent championship match.
During their pursuit of their current regional title, the Springboks delivered a historic loss on the All Blacks through dominant performance in the capital, a result which has sparked another round of debate concerning the development of the team under the coach.
Perhaps most troubling for fans of the All Blacks will be that, alongside their usual power, South Africa's success has come with an attacking verve more commonly connected with their traditional rivals.
Playing Philosophy
At the time that the New Zealand team were at the height of their abilities in previous eras, they were a ruthless counter-attacking unit equipped of destroying rivals from all areas of the playing surface and at any moment of the game.
Today, their attacking style is less defined as the coach, who has awarded numerous first caps during his two years in charge, tries to initially build the more prosaic foundations of a successful side.
It has already been confirmed that the supporting manager overseeing attack, the current coach, will exit the team after the autumn tour, making him the second member of management team to depart after previous staff member departed last year after just limited matches.
Expectations vs Reality
It was not just his winning record, but his style, that was anticipated to translate from his former team when he assumed control after the 2023 World Cup but, so far, each are still a ongoing development.
Commercial Considerations
Following private equity firm Silver Lake invested capital in All Blacks in 2022, the subsequent announcement mentioned the "quest of worldwide growth" for the brand.
That objective has maybe been harder by the lack of a global icon. The current captain and the trio of Barrett brothers continue to be well-known figures in the game, but the concentration of key individuals has never been spread wider. Their leader is the single New Zealand player to receive international honors in the current era, in contrast to ten awards in over a decade between 2005 and '07.
International Growth
Rather, initiatives have been undertaken to establish the All Blacks into previously untapped markets.
The opening phase of this 'Grand Slam' tour brings New Zealand not to the Irish capital but the American city, a revisit to the Soldier Field venue where the Irish team obtained a first ever victory in the contest during past tours.
Following the reduction of pandemic limitations, the New Zealand team have additionally