Will the New Zealand rugby team find their spark during the fall tour?
Seeking what would be just a fifth 'Grand Slam' in their illustrious legacy, the New Zealand side have traveled to Europe at an interesting juncture.
Games against the Irish team, Scotland, England and the Welsh team await the New Zealand team across the upcoming weeks but, quite aside from the chance to equal the sides of previous successful tours in the annals of rugby, the games will be used as a yardstick to assess the improvement of the team under a leader now 24 months into from beginning his tenure.
Team Issues
Questions over a shortage of an clear playing identity, ongoing discussions over team picks and exits from the coaching ticket have all fueled the sense that the most famous squad in the rugby is currently one in a period of transition.
Most significantly, it is the dip in performances from a historic high watermark set between the global tournaments of the last decade that has prompted some to theorize that we have moved out of the era of All Black exceptionalism.
Past Performance
Before their journey for the northern hemisphere, it was announced that during the following season, in the non-existence of the southern hemisphere competition, New Zealand will face South Africa in a warm-weather tour termed 'an unprecedented series'.
Historically the game's two strongest sides, there is no question over who has lately dominated of what marketers have called 'The Premier Rivalry'.
During the last decade, the South African team have won a couple of World Cups, three Rugby Championships and a series against the northern hemisphere selection to be regarded as the side of their era.
The All Blacks have persisted to defeat Ireland when it counts most, beating Saturday's opponents in the World Cup quarter finals of the past two tournaments. They have, at the same time, lost just two of the past 21 meetings with the English team, have beaten the Welsh side in each game since over sixty years ago and have always been victorious by the Scottish team.
Changing Dynamics
But the loss of their position as the game's gold standard will continue to rankle.
Whereas the New Zealand team dominated through the 2010s - winning 87% of their international games, as well as claiming the World Cup on two occasions - the global tournament of 2019 can now be regarded as when the competitive landscape changed in the global game.
New Zealand defeated the Springboks in their first game of the tournament in the host nation, but it was the South Africans who were eventually successful in the final.
After that event, the All Blacks' winning percentage has fallen to 71%. The Springboks themselves were defeated in ten of their next 26 Test matches but, commencing of last year, have achieved victory at a rate (83%) to match even the previous All Blacks side.
Direct Competition
Over the comparable duration, the 'Boks have won the majority of the past fixtures between the opponents, including triumph in the latest global tournament decider.
In claiming their most recent continental championship, the Springboks inflicted a record 43-10 defeat on the New Zealand team through 36 unanswered second-half points in their home ground, a result which has ignited another round of controversy about the development of the team under Robertson.
Maybe most concerning for supporters of the All Blacks will be that, combined with their usual power, South Africa's success has come with an offensive flair more usually associated with their opposition team.
Style Evolution
At the time that the New Zealand team were at the height of their powers 10 years ago, they were a ruthless counter-attacking unit equipped of shredding rivals from any part of the playing surface and at any moment of the contest.
Now, their playing philosophy is more ambiguous as their leader, who has handed out multiple new players during his 24 months in control, tries to first establish the basic core elements of a winning team.
It has previously announced that the backroom staff member in charge of scoring, the current coach, will exit the team after the autumn tour, making him the second member of Robertson's ticket to exit after another coach left last year after just a handful of games.
Expectations vs Reality
It was not only previous achievements, but his approach, that was anticipated to translate from previous club when he began his tenure after the global competition but, so far, each continue to be a work in progress.
Business Factors
When investment group Silver Lake bought a stake in All Blacks in the past, the subsequent announcement discussed the "pursuit of international expansion" for the team.
That objective has perhaps been more difficult by the lack of a crossover star. The current captain and the collection of family members continue to be household names in the sport, but the distribution of talented players has become more diverse. The captain is the single All Black to win World Player of the Year in the recent years, in comparison to ten awards in 13 years between the mid-2000s.
Worldwide Reach
Instead, initiatives have been undertaken to transplant the New Zealand team into emerging regions.
The opening phase of this European campaign brings the All Blacks not to the Irish capital but Chicago, a revisit to the location where the Irish team obtained a landmark success in the match during past tours.
Since the relaxation of health protocols, the New Zealand team have additionally
