The All Blacks and Springboks Greatest Rivalry Series lived up to the hype but it also leaves Dave Rennie with plenty to ponder for the remainder of the year.
Liam Napier analyses where the All Blacks must seek immediate improvements as their focus soon switches to retaining the Bledisloe Cup.
What's working
Dave Rennie and Mike Blair have combined to transform the All Blacks' attack. It doesn't always stick, and there's often a high degree of risk, but the attack first mindset has reshaped the All Blacks' weaponry almost overnight.
An area of the game that consistently stuttered under Scott Robertson's regime, where the over coaching structure stifled intent, has been reborn.
Rennie's All Blacks are averaging five tries each outing this year, scoring 35 in seven Tests. The quest to play at pace, to flood edges, utilise the ball beats the man theory to create space in the wide channels is proving impossible to contain when the All Blacks get it right.
The beauty lies in the simplicity. Blair and Rennie haven't over complicated their attacking game plan. They've instead empowered some of the world's best threats to back their instincts and take the space when it's on. The All Blacks will always boast some of the best ball playing forwards and potent backs but they again have licence to thrill.
The counterattack that died on the vine the previous two years is largely back, too.
Being the great entertainers isn't enough but five tries per Test would put most teams away.
A fractured, widely unhappy group is also united again. The character the All Blacks displayed to rise from the dead in their Ellis Park upset doesn't happen by chance. That reflects the sweeping internal cultural overhaul Rennie has led since assuming charge three months ago.
What's not working
Viewed in isolation the All Blacks could be cast as a deeply flawed team.
Confronting the back-to-back world champions on home soil was always going to expose cracks in need of attention.
Some of those pressure points the Boks consistently squeezed may not be so glaring against other opposition and, indeed, contrasting styles. But if the All Blacks are to progress beyond next year's World Cup quarterfinal, where another heavyweight showdown with the Boks looms, they must address several areas.
The All Blacks have long prided themselves on their set piece foundations but in this series, it proved a concerning underbelly.
Dark arts technical aspects are at play amid walking round claims and the new break foot interpretations but conceding 14 scrum penalties, including one penalty try, shines a spotlight on the Boks' unrivalled strength - and the All Blacks vulnerabilities that leaves the heat on Jason Ryan to drive immediate improvements.
The lineout functioning at 86% after losing eight throws, giving up four restarts, and harnessing more size at the breakdown requires adjustments but the other major focus is the ongoing inability to swallow this high ball.
This is not a new problem for the All Blacks. They have struggled to source solutions since the law tweak that further encouraged box kicking by eliminating escorts from the game.
Improvements were evident in July - as the All Blacks used the receiver facing backwards to take the ball in the air - but the Boks didn't let up and the rewards kept coming.
Will Jordan's series high 24 turnovers sticks out as ample evidence that the All Blacks continue to battle under the high ball. They missed Caleb Clarke in South Africa, as the small back three were targeted, but after watching the All Blacks bobble and battle to solve this problem, every Test nation will come for them here until they deliver vast improvements.
Discipline is another issue after the All Blacks conceded more penalties in three of the four Tests against the Boks. It's not so much the number but when these are conceded - often at the breakdown, and often needless infringements for taking opponents out beyond the ball or with poor cleanout technique while on attack which proves costly.
On defence, the strategy of stationing small wingers in the midfield was also exposed. Leroy Carter and Josh Moorby were pushed off by bigger ball carriers which directly led to three tries.
Bolted on starters
Cam Roigard, Jordie Barrett, Quinn Tupaea, Will Jordan, Fabian Holland and Damian McKenzie appear central to Rennie's plans. So, too, Savea and Jacobson when available.
Many other positions, though, remain contestable.
While he wasn't overly commanding Ruben Love will grow from his three successive starts against the Boks. He deserves a chance to play from an improved platform after often starting from slower ball than the All Blacks desire.
Richie Mo'unga, in his first Test start for three years, wasn't authoritative in Baltimore, either, but he will warm into his work to maintain the heat on Love for the playmaking reins.
The left wing, one locking position, blindside flanker, hooker where Asafo Aumua was a prominent mover to state his case to start over centurion Codie Taylor, and tighthead prop remain up for grabs too. Under threat:
Relentless tours such as these required the largest squad the All Blacks have assembled in the modern era. After selecting an initial 44-man squad, Rennie employed 48 players through the eight tour matches.
A huge trim now looms for successive Bledisloe Cup matches, before a slightly enlarged group will complete the year with the four Nations Championship fixtures in the north.
Ardie Savea's season is likely ended by a dislocated shoulder, and Luke Jacobson could join him after undergoing bicep surgery.
Significant reinforcements are, though, en route with Leicester Fainga'anuku, former captain Scott Barrett, Anton Segner and Quinn Tupaea all expected back for the Wallabies.
Shannon Frizell, having returned from Japan alongside Mo'unga, could also be recalled as the revolving door at blindside continues with four players - Peter Lakai, Wallace Sititi, Tupou Vaa'i, Simon Parker - featuring there in seven Tests this year.
Many of the South Africa midweek team will drop out of the frame unless further injuries strike. Other more established figures, such as Beauden Barrett and Patrick Tuipulotu, will be nervous too.
Rugby's Greatest Rivalry concept
Bringing back tours proved a hit.
Seven games in South Africa attracted 380,105 fans through the gates and 68,173 flocked to Baltimore for the fourth money-spinning Test.
Ticket prices for the four tour matches in South Africa proved prohibitive to turn some locals away. The Boks protecting 44 players, and timing of the tour that left the franchise teams starting their preseason, combined to diminish the competitiveness of those fixtures.
Taking matches throughout South Africa, with three of the seven games staged in Johannesburg, would also better spread the love.
On the whole, though, this tour resonated on the ground, where South Africans stoked their braais outside the stadiums and soaked every moment, and globally with interest high in every major rugby market.
Anytime the Boks and All Blacks collide the rugby world moves to the edge of their seat.
In a modern world where content is king and social media drives narratives, this tour proves old school values remain intrinsic to generating genuine value.