Pursuing what would be just a fifth tour victory in their legendary past, the New Zealand side have traveled to Europe at an crucial period.
Fixtures against Ireland, Scotland, England and Wales await the All Blacks across the next four weekends but, in addition to the opportunity to match the teams of previous successful tours in the history books, the fixtures will be used as a yardstick to evaluate the development of the side under a head coach now 24 months into from taking up the reins.
Present Difficulties
Questions over a shortage of an clear playing identity, continuing controversies over player choices and departures from the backroom staff have all fueled the sense that the best-known side in the game is now one in a period of transition.
Most significantly, it is the decline in outcomes from a historic high watermark set between the World Cups of the last decade that has caused some to theorize that we have transitioned away of the era of All Black exceptionalism.
Past Performance
Prior to their journey for the fall series, it was confirmed that during the following season, in the absence of the southern hemisphere competition, the All Blacks will play the Springboks in a summer series called 'an unprecedented series'.
In the past the game's two strongest sides, there is no question over who has currently outperformed of what marketers have labeled 'Rugby's Greatest Rivalry'.
During the last decade, the Springboks have claimed a two of World Cups, three southern hemisphere titles and a tour against the British and Irish Lions to be regarded as the side of their period.
New Zealand have maintained to beat Ireland when it counts most, beating their next challengers in the tournament knockout stages of 2019 and '23. They have, additionally, lost just a couple of the last fixtures with the English team, have beaten the Welsh side in every encounter since the sixties and have never suffered defeat by Scotland.
Evolving Landscape
But the diminishment of their standing as the sport's measure of excellence will persist as an irritation.
Whereas the All Blacks reigned supreme through the previous decade - securing 87% of their international games, as well as lifting the Webb Ellis on several instances - the global tournament of 2019 can now be seen as when the hierarchical structure changed in the international rugby.
New Zealand defeated South Africa in their initial fixture of the competition in Japan, but it was the Boks' who were eventually successful in the championship match.
From that point, the New Zealand's success rate has declined to 71%. The Springboks themselves were defeated in ten of their subsequent fixtures but, commencing of 2023, have won at a frequency (eighty-three percent) to match even the former Kiwi champions.
Recent Encounters
During the equivalent timeframe, the South African team have won five of the seven meetings between the opponents, featuring triumph in the 2023 World Cup final.
During their pursuit of their latest regional title, the Springboks inflicted a historic loss on the New Zealand team courtesy of overwhelming display in Wellington, a outcome which has triggered another round of debate regarding the development of the team under their leader.
Maybe most troubling for followers of the All Blacks will be that, alongside their characteristic physicality, the Springboks' achievement has come with an attacking verve more commonly connected with their own side.
Team Identity
When the New Zealand team were at the zenith of their powers 10 years ago, they were a ruthless counter-attacking unit capable of destroying opponents from any part of the field and at any moment of the match.
Today, their offensive approach is more ambiguous as their leader, who has given 19 debuts during his two years in command, tries to primarily create the more prosaic foundations of a winning team.
It has already been confirmed that the backroom staff member overseeing scoring, the current coach, will leave his role after the autumn tour, becoming the second member of the coaching staff to leave after another coach left last year after just five Tests.
Expectations vs Reality
It was not just previous achievements, but his methodology, that was expected to transfer from previous club when he began his tenure after the 2023 World Cup but, so far, each continue to be a ongoing development.
Business Factors
Following private equity firm investors bought a stake in All Blacks in recent years, the ensuing statement discussed the "quest of international expansion" for the organization.
That objective has perhaps been more difficult by the absence of a crossover star. Their key player and the group of Barrett brothers continue to be well-known figures in the sport, but the concentration of talented players has never been spread wider. The captain is the single All Black to receive World Player of the Year in the past six seasons, in opposition to ten awards in over a decade between the mid-2000s.
International Growth
Rather, initiatives have been implemented to transplant the New Zealand team into new territories.
The first leg of this European campaign brings the All Blacks not to Dublin but the American city, a comeback to the Soldier Field venue where Ireland secured a historic win in the contest nine years ago.
Since the relaxation of pandemic limitations, the All Blacks have also
