Can the New Zealand rugby team find their winning form in the upcoming matches?
Aiming for what would be just a fifth tour victory in their storied history, the New Zealand side have embarked on their tour at an crucial period.
Matches against Ireland, Scotland, the English squad and Wales await the New Zealand team across the upcoming weeks but, beyond the opportunity to equal the sides of 1978, 2005, 2008 and 2010 in the annals of rugby, the fixtures will be used as a benchmark to assess the development of the team under a manager now well established from taking up the reins.
Current Challenges
Concerns over a absence of an distinctive approach, enduring debates over player choices and departures from the coaching ticket have all contributed to the perception that the most famous squad in the sport is presently one in a period of transition.
Most pertinently, it is the dip in performances from a past excellence set between the World Cups of the last decade that has prompted some to speculate that we have evolved beyond of the era of All Black exceptionalism.
Past Performance
Prior to their travel for the European tour, it was confirmed that next year, in the non-existence of the southern hemisphere competition, New Zealand will meet South Africa in a off-season matches called 'a tour like no other'.
Traditionally the game's two strongest sides, 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 pair of World Cups, three Rugby Championships and a competition against the home nations team to be viewed as the team of their generation.
The All Blacks have continued to beat the Irish team when it is crucial, overcoming this weekend's rivals in the tournament knockout stages of recent years. They have, additionally, been defeated in just two of the last fixtures with England, have defeated the Welsh side in every encounter since the sixties and have remained unbeaten by Scotland.
Evolving Landscape
But the diminishment of their standing as the rugby's benchmark will persist as an irritation.
While the New Zealand team dominated through the previous decade - achieving 87% of their international games, as well as lifting the global trophy on multiple times - the global tournament of the previous competition can now be regarded as when the competitive landscape shifted in the world sport.
New Zealand beat the Springboks in their opening match 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 declined to 71%. The Springboks themselves lost 10 of their next 26 Test matches but, commencing of 2023, have won at a rate (eighty-three percent) to compete with even the last great New Zealand team.
Head-to-Head
During the same period, the South African team have won the majority of the seven meetings between the teams, including victory in the 2023 World Cup final.
During their pursuit of their current regional title, South Africa administered a historic loss on the New Zealand team thanks to dominant performance in Wellington, a score which has ignited another series of discussion about the direction of the squad under Robertson.
Maybe most troubling for followers of the New Zealand team will be that, combined with their usual power, South Africa's achievement has come with an creative approach more commonly connected with their opposition team.
Style Evolution
At the time that the New Zealand team were at the height of their powers in previous eras, they were a devastating offensive machine capable of destroying opponents from every section of the playing surface and at any point of the game.
Currently, their playing philosophy is more ambiguous as their leader, who has handed out numerous first caps during his two years in charge, tries to initially build the basic core elements of a successful side.
It has previously announced that the supporting manager in charge of attack, their offensive coordinator, will depart his position after the upcoming matches, making him the next individual of Robertson's ticket to exit after previous staff member walked away last year after just five Tests.
Team Development
It was not merely previous achievements, but his style, that was expected to carry over from Crusaders when he took over after the 2023 World Cup but, as yet, each continue to be a ongoing development.
Commercial Considerations
After investment group investors invested capital in New Zealand rugby in 2022, the subsequent announcement mentioned the "quest of new global opportunities" for the brand.
That goal has perhaps been more difficult by the lack of a global icon. Their key player and the trio of related players continue to be recognizable personalities in the sport, but the distribution of stars has never been spread wider. Their leader is the sole All Black to win global recognition in the past six seasons, in contrast to 10 in over a decade between previous generations.
Global Expansion
Rather, efforts have been undertaken to introduce the All Blacks into new territories.
The initial stage of this 'Grand Slam' tour brings New Zealand not to the Irish capital but the American city, a comeback to the stadium where the Irish team secured a first ever victory in the fixture during past tours.
Following the easing of pandemic limitations, the New Zealand team have also