Can the New Zealand rugby team find their magic this autumn?

Pursuing what would be just a fifth northern hemisphere clean sweep in their illustrious legacy, the All Blacks have headed north at an pivotal moment.

Games against Ireland, the Scottish side, England and the Welsh team await Scott Robertson's side across the upcoming weeks but, in addition to the chance to equal the teams of previous successful tours in the record books, the games will be used as a benchmark to assess the progress of the squad under a manager now 24 months into from taking up the reins.

Current Challenges

Questions over a lack of an identifiable style, ongoing discussions over player choices and exits from the coaching ticket have all fueled the feeling that the most famous squad in the game is currently one in a time of change.

Most pertinently, it is the dip in outcomes from a previous peak set between the World Cups of the last decade that has led some to suggest that we have evolved beyond of the age of All Black exceptionalism.

Recent History

Prior to their departure for the northern hemisphere, it was revealed that during the following season, in the absence of the southern hemisphere competition, New Zealand will meet the Springboks in a off-season matches termed 'an unprecedented series'.

Historically the rugby's premier teams, there is no question over who has currently outperformed of what marketers have called 'The Premier Rivalry'.

In recent seasons, the Springboks have won a couple of global tournaments, three Rugby Championships and a competition against the northern hemisphere selection to be considered as the team of their generation.

New Zealand have continued to overcome Ireland when it counts most, beating their next challengers in the tournament knockout stages of recent years. They have, at the same time, been defeated in just a couple of the past 21 meetings with the English team, have beaten the Welsh side in each game since 1963 and have always been victorious by Scotland.

Shifting Balance

But the loss of their standing as the sport's measure of excellence will remain frustrating.

Although the All Blacks reigned supreme through the last ten years - achieving eighty-seven percent of their fixtures, as well as lifting the World Cup on several instances - the global tournament of 2019 can now be viewed as when the hierarchical structure changed in the international rugby.

The All Blacks overcame South Africa in their opening match of the tournament in Japan, but it was the Boks' who were ultimately triumphant in the final.

Since then, the New Zealand's victory ratio has fallen to seventy-one percent. South Africa themselves were defeated in 10 of their next 26 Test matches but, from the beginning of 2023, have won at a rate (eighty-three percent) to match even the previous All Blacks side.

Direct Competition

Throughout the comparable duration, the Springboks have won five of the seven meetings between the teams, including success in the 2023 World Cup final.

During their pursuit of their latest southern hemisphere crown, Rassie Erasmus' side inflicted a significant beating on the All Blacks through dominant performance in the capital, a result which has ignited another series of discussion about the development of the team under the coach.

Possibly most jarring for followers of the New Zealand team will be that, allied to their characteristic physicality, the Springboks' achievement has come with an offensive flair more commonly connected with their own side.

Playing Philosophy

At the time that the All Blacks were at the zenith of their powers a decade past, they were a ruthless counter-attacking unit equipped of destroying competitors from all areas of the pitch and at all times of the contest.

Currently, their attacking style is more ambiguous as Robertson, who has awarded multiple new players during his two years in charge, tries to first establish the fundamental foundations of a winning team.

It has recently revealed that the backroom staff member responsible for attack, their offensive coordinator, will exit the team after the fall series, making him the next individual of the coaching staff to leave after previous staff member walked away last year after just a handful of games.

Team Development

It was not merely his winning record, but his style, that was expected to translate from his former team when he took over after the global competition but, to date, the two aspects are still a ongoing development.

Commercial Considerations

When financial organization investors bought a stake in All Blacks in the past, the ensuing statement spoke of the "quest of international expansion" for the organization.

That objective has maybe been more challenging by the absence of a global icon. Ardie Savea and the collection of related players continue to be recognizable personalities in the game, but the concentration of talented players has become more diverse. Savea is the only All Black to earn World Player of the Year in the past six seasons, in contrast to 10 in over a decade between previous generations.

International Growth

Instead, initiatives have been undertaken to introduce the All Blacks into emerging regions.

The first leg of this northern hemisphere series brings the All Blacks not to the Irish capital but Chicago, a return to the stadium where the Irish team achieved a landmark success in the match in previous seasons.

Since the reduction of health protocols, the New Zealand team have also