Can All Blacks rediscover their spark this autumn?

Scott Robertson’s side will have the opportunity to record games against Ireland, Scotland, England, and Wales over the following four weekends, but aside from that, the records will be used as a gauge to gauge the team’s progress as a head coach two years after taking the reins.

The absence of a clear style, lingering debates over selection and coaching decisions, and other factors have all contributed to the perception that the sport’s most recognizable team is in flux right now.

In a summer series known as “a tour like no other,” New Zealand will face South Africa in New Zealand next year in addition to the Rugby Championship.

There is little doubt about who has recently gotten the better of what marketers have referred to as “rugby’s greatest rivalry,” which has historically been the game’s two strongest sides.

The Springboks have won two World Cups, three Rugby Championships, and three series matches against the British and Irish Lions, all of which are considered to be their generation.

In the 2019 and 2019 World Cup quarter-finals, New Zealand defeated Ireland in a game that was crucial. They have only lost two of their 21 meetings with England, have defeated Wales twice since 1953, and have never lost to Scotland.

However, they will continue to be criticized for their inability to be the game’s gold standard.

The All Blacks won 87% of their Test matches in the decade and won the Webb Ellis twice, but the balance of power changed during the World Cup of 2019 as a result.

In their opening match of the tournament in Japan, New Zealand defeated South Africa, but the Boks won in Yokohama in the end.

The “Boks” have also won five of the seven meetings between them, including the 2023 World Cup final, while the “Boks” have also won five of those meetings.

Rassie Erasmus’ side won the most recent southern hemisphere title with a record 43-10 defeat over the All Blacks, which has sparked another round of debate about the direction of the side under Robertson.

The fact that South Africa’s success has been allied with their usual power has a more attacking bent that is more typically associated with their own side will be the most jarring to supporters of the All Blacks.

When the All Blacks were at the height of their dominance ten years ago, they were a brutal counter-attacking force capable of annihilating opponents at any position and time.

Their attacking style is less defined today as Robertson, who has made 19 debuts in his two years in charge, tries to establish the more prosaic foundations of a successful side.

Jason Holland, the assistant coach in charge of attack, will step down after the autumn tour, making him the second player on Robertson’s ticket to leave after Leon MacDonald left last year after just five Tests.

The lack of a crossover star may have made that task more difficult. Although Ardie Savea and the Barrett brothers are still well-known, the star concentration has never been greater. Savea is the only All Black player to have won the award for “World Player of the Year” in six years, compared to 10 other All Blacks in 13 years between 2005 and 2007.

Instead, efforts have been made to bring the All Blacks into previously untapped territories.

New Zealand will travel to Chicago for the first leg of this “Grand Slam” tour, returning to the Soldier Field venue where Ireland won the first game for the first time in nine years.

The All Blacks have also played the Springboks in Twickenham and Fiji in San Diego since Covid-19’s travel restrictions have been lifted. The final of the four Tests against South Africa in 2026 will also take place in a nearby venue.

However, such a schedule is unlikely to ease Robertson’s situation as he attempts to recreate the levels of a decade ago in the present while simultaneously developing a team capable of winning the World Cup in Australia in two years.