Will the All Blacks find their winning form in the upcoming matches?
Aiming for what would be just a fifth tour victory in their legendary past, the New Zealand side have headed north at an pivotal moment.
Fixtures against Ireland, the Scottish side, the English squad and Wales await Scott Robertson's side across the coming month but, in addition to the possibility to equal the sides of previous successful tours in the record books, the matches will be used as a yardstick to assess the progress of the side under a leader now well established from assuming control.
Present Difficulties
Doubts over a shortage of an distinctive approach, enduring debates over selection and exits from the coaching ticket have all added to the sense that the best-known side in the game is now one in a time of change.
Most pertinently, it is the decline in results from a previous peak set between the World Cups of 2011 and 2019 that has caused some to speculate that we have evolved beyond of the period of All Black exceptionalism.
Team Record
Prior to their journey for the fall series, it was announced that during the following season, in the lack of the Rugby Championship, the All Blacks will play the Springboks in a warm-weather tour termed 'a unique competition'.
Traditionally the game's two strongest sides, there is no question over who has lately dominated of what promoters have labeled 'The Ultimate Contest'.
During the last decade, the South African team have claimed a pair of World Cups, three southern hemisphere titles and a tour against the British and Irish Lions to be considered as the side of their era.
New Zealand have continued to beat Ireland when it counts most, beating Saturday's opponents in the tournament knockout stages of the past two tournaments. They have, meanwhile, been defeated in just a couple of the past 21 meetings with England, have beaten the Welsh side in every encounter since 1963 and have remained unbeaten by Scotland.
Changing Dynamics
But the loss of their status as the game's gold standard will remain frustrating.
Whereas the New Zealand team reigned supreme through the last ten years - securing eighty-seven percent of their Test matches, as well as winning the global trophy on two occasions - the World Cup of 2019 can now be viewed as when the balance of power shifted in the world sport.
New Zealand defeated the Springboks in their initial fixture of the tournament in the host nation, but it was the Boks' who were finally victorious in the championship match.
After that event, the New Zealand's success rate has fallen to 71%. The Springboks themselves were defeated in 10 of their next 26 Test matches but, commencing of 2023, have achieved victory at a frequency (eighty-three percent) to rival even the former Kiwi champions.
Direct Competition
Throughout the same period, the 'Boks have won the majority of the past fixtures between the teams, including success in the latest global tournament decider.
While securing their latest regional title, Rassie Erasmus' side administered a record 43-10 defeat on the New Zealand team through 36 unanswered second-half points in Wellington, a result which has triggered another round of discussion about the progress of the side under the coach.
Perhaps most troubling for supporters of the New Zealand team will be that, alongside their characteristic physicality, South Africa's triumph has come with an attacking verve more usually associated with their opposition team.
Playing Philosophy
When the New Zealand team were at the peak of their capabilities a decade past, they were a devastating offensive machine equipped of destroying opponents from any part of the pitch and at all times of the game.
Today, their offensive approach is less defined as their leader, who has given 19 debuts during his recent tenure in charge, tries to first establish the basic building blocks of a competitive squad.
It has previously announced that the assistant coach responsible for offense, Jason Holland, will depart his position after the fall series, becoming the next individual of the coaching staff to leave after previous staff member left last year after just five Tests.
Expectations vs Reality
It was not merely Robertson's success, but his approach, that was anticipated to translate from his former team when he assumed control after the global competition but, to date, both continue to be a continuous improvement.
Commercial Considerations
After investment group Silver Lake bought a stake in All Blacks in 2022, the ensuing statement spoke of the "search of international expansion" for the organization.
That task has possibly been more challenging by the lack of a global icon. Ardie Savea and the trio of related players continue to be recognizable personalities in the rugby, but the concentration of talented players has expanded significantly. Their leader is the single All Black to win global recognition in the recent years, in comparison to ten awards in over a decade between 2005 and '07.
International Growth
Instead, initiatives have been implemented to establish the New Zealand team into emerging regions.
The first leg of this 'Grand Slam' tour brings the All Blacks not to Dublin but the American city, a return to the Soldier Field venue where Ireland secured a first ever victory in the contest during past tours.
Since the easing of health protocols, the All Blacks have also
