Can the All Blacks rediscover their magic this autumn?

Aiming for what would be just a fifth northern hemisphere clean sweep in their legendary past, the New Zealand side have traveled to Europe at an pivotal moment.

Games against Ireland, the Scottish side, the English squad and the Welsh team await Scott Robertson's side across the coming month but, quite aside from the possibility to match the squads of 1978, 2005, 2008 and 2010 in the history books, the fixtures will be used as a measure to assess the improvement of the side under a manager now well established from beginning his tenure.

Present Difficulties

Doubts over a absence of an identifiable style, continuing controversies over team picks and exits from the coaching ticket have all contributed to the feeling that the best-known side in the game is presently one in a period of transition.

Most importantly, it is the dip in outcomes from a previous peak set between the global tournaments of 2011 and 2019 that has caused some to suggest that we have moved out of the age of Kiwi superiority.

Team Record

Prior to their journey for the northern hemisphere, it was confirmed that in the coming year, in the non-existence of the Rugby Championship, the All Blacks will meet the Springboks in a summer series termed 'a tour like no other'.

In the past the game's two strongest sides, there is little doubt over who has lately dominated of what marketers have called 'The Ultimate Contest'.

In recent seasons, the Springboks have won a pair of World Cups, three Rugby Championships and a series against the British and Irish Lions to be considered as the side of their era.

New Zealand have continued to defeat the Irish team when it matters most, defeating their next challengers in the tournament knockout stages of 2019 and '23. They have, at the same time, been defeated in just a pair of the past 21 meetings with the English team, have beaten Wales in every encounter since the sixties and have remained unbeaten by the Scottish team.

Changing Dynamics

But the diminishment of their standing as the rugby's benchmark will continue to rankle.

Although the All Blacks dominated through the last ten years - achieving 87% of their fixtures, as well as lifting the global trophy on multiple times - the global tournament of 2019 can now be viewed as when the competitive landscape shifted in the world sport.

New Zealand defeated South Africa in their opening match of the championship in Japan, but it was the Boks' who were eventually successful in the championship match.

Since then, the New Zealand's winning percentage has dropped to 71%. South Africa themselves lost ten of their following games but, from the beginning of last year, have won at a rate (83%) to match even the last great New Zealand team.

Recent Encounters

Throughout the comparable duration, the Springboks have won five of the seven meetings between the teams, including victory in the latest global tournament decider.

In claiming their most recent southern hemisphere crown, the Springboks administered a historic loss on the New Zealand team through overwhelming display in the capital, a result which has sparked another series of debate concerning the direction of the squad under their leader.

Possibly most jarring for supporters of the All Blacks will be that, combined with their traditional strength, the Springboks' achievement has come with an offensive flair more usually associated with their own side.

Team Identity

At the time that the All Blacks were at the zenith of their capabilities in previous eras, they were a ruthless counter-attacking unit able of dismantling opponents from any part of the playing surface and at any point of the contest.

Now, their offensive approach is less defined as their leader, who has handed out numerous first caps during his 24 months in charge, tries to primarily create the more prosaic building blocks of a competitive squad.

It has already been confirmed that the assistant coach overseeing scoring, the current coach, will depart his position after the fall series, making him the next individual of the coaching staff to leave after another coach departed last year after just limited matches.

Team Development

It was not only Robertson's success, but his methodology, that was expected to translate from previous club when he assumed control after the global competition but, as yet, both continue to be a ongoing development.

Organizational Strategy

When private equity firm investors invested capital in All Blacks in recent years, the ensuing statement spoke of the "search of worldwide growth" for the organization.

That task has possibly been more difficult by the absence of a international celebrity. The current captain and the trio of related players continue to be household names in the sport, but the spread of stars has become more diverse. The captain is the only New Zealand player to receive global recognition in the current era, in comparison to 10 in 13 years between 2005 and '07.

Global Expansion

Rather, efforts have been undertaken to establish the New Zealand team into previously untapped markets.

The opening phase of this European campaign brings the All Blacks not to the Irish capital but the American city, a return to the stadium where the Irish team achieved a historic win in the match during past tours.

After the reduction of Covid-19 travel restrictions, the New Zealand team have also