Can the New Zealand rugby team rediscover their winning form in the upcoming matches?
Pursuing what would be just a fifth northern hemisphere clean sweep in their legendary past, the All Blacks have traveled to Europe at an interesting juncture.
Games against the Irish team, Scotland, England and Wales await the All Blacks across the next four weekends but, beyond the possibility to match the squads of 1978, 2005, 2008 and 2010 in the history books, the games will be used as a yardstick to measure the improvement of the team under a leader now two years on from beginning his tenure.
Team Issues
Doubts over a shortage of an identifiable style, continuing controversies over selection and departures from the coaching ticket have all fueled the sense that the most famous squad in the sport is now one in a state of flux.
Most pertinently, it is the dip in results from a historic high watermark set between the World Cups of the last decade that has prompted some to theorize that we have transitioned away of the period of New Zealand dominance.
Team Record
Before their journey for the fall series, it was confirmed that in the coming year, in the absence of the southern hemisphere competition, the All Blacks will meet South Africa in a off-season matches termed 'a tour like no other'.
In the past the rugby's premier teams, there is little doubt over who has currently outperformed of what organizers have called 'The Premier Rivalry'.
In recent seasons, the Springboks have won a pair of global tournaments, three Rugby Championships and a series against the northern hemisphere selection to be regarded as the team of their generation.
New Zealand have persisted to overcome the Irish team when it is crucial, defeating their next challengers in the tournament knockout stages of 2019 and '23. They have, meanwhile, lost just a couple of the last fixtures with the English team, have overcome Wales in each game since 1963 and have always been victorious by the Scottish team.
Changing Dynamics
But the decline of their status as the sport's measure of excellence will continue to rankle.
While the All Blacks dominated through the previous decade - achieving 87% of their fixtures, as well as claiming the Webb Ellis on two occasions - the World Cup of 2019 can now be seen as when the balance of power moved in the global game.
New Zealand defeated the Springboks in their opening match of the competition in the host nation, but it was the Boks' who were eventually successful in the final.
Since then, the All Blacks' victory ratio has fallen to 71%. South Africa themselves were defeated in 10 of their following games but, since the start of 2023, have won at a percentage (eighty-three percent) to rival even the previous All Blacks side.
Recent Encounters
Throughout the comparable duration, the 'Boks have won the majority of the seven meetings between the teams, comprising triumph in the 2023 World Cup final.
In claiming their most recent southern hemisphere crown, the Springboks inflicted a significant beating on the New Zealand team through 36 unanswered second-half points in the capital, a outcome which has sparked another series of discussion concerning the direction of the team under their leader.
Perhaps most troubling for followers of the All Blacks will be that, combined with their usual power, the Springboks' achievement has come with an attacking verve more commonly connected with their opposition team.
Team Identity
When the All Blacks were at the height of their powers 10 years ago, they were a clinical transition team able of shredding rivals from every section of the playing surface and at any point of the match.
Currently, their playing philosophy is unclear as Robertson, who has handed out 19 debuts during his recent tenure in charge, tries to initially build the fundamental core elements of a competitive squad.
It has previously announced that the backroom staff member overseeing scoring, their offensive coordinator, will leave his role after the upcoming matches, making him the additional person of Robertson's ticket to leave after Leon MacDonald left last year after just a handful of games.
Performance Gap
It was not merely his winning record, but his style, that was predicted to transfer from Crusaders when he assumed control after the recent tournament but, so far, both remain a continuous improvement.
Commercial Considerations
After investment group the company invested capital in New Zealand rugby in 2022, the ensuing statement mentioned the "quest of worldwide growth" for the organization.
That objective has possibly been more difficult by the shortage of a crossover star. Their key player and the collection of Barrett brothers remain recognizable personalities in the game, but the concentration of talented players has become more diverse. Their leader is the sole All Black to win World Player of the Year in the past six seasons, in contrast to ten awards in 13 years between the mid-2000s.
International Growth
Instead, initiatives have been made to establish the New Zealand team into emerging regions.
The initial stage of this northern hemisphere series brings the All Blacks not to the Irish capital but Chicago, a return to the location where Ireland secured a landmark success in the fixture nine years ago.
Since the easing of pandemic limitations, the All Blacks have also
