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Pursuing what would be just a fifth northern hemisphere clean sweep in their legendary past, the New Zealand side have headed north at an crucial period.

Games against Ireland, the Scottish side, England and Wales await Scott Robertson's side across the coming month but, quite aside from the chance to match the squads of previous successful tours in the history books, the fixtures will be used as a benchmark to assess the progress of the team under a leader now 24 months into from assuming control.

Present Difficulties

Concerns over a shortage of an identifiable style, continuing controversies over team picks and departures from the management team have all fueled the perception that the best-known side in the sport is presently one in a state of flux.

Most importantly, it is the dip in performances from a previous peak set between the global tournaments of the last decade that has led some to suggest that we have transitioned away of the age of All Black exceptionalism.

Team Record

Ahead of their departure for the European tour, it was announced that in the coming year, in the absence of the Rugby Championship, the All Blacks will meet South Africa in a summer series termed 'a tour like no other'.

Traditionally the game's two strongest sides, there is no question over who has currently outperformed of what organizers have labeled 'The Premier Rivalry'.

During the last decade, the Springboks have secured a pair of World Cups, three southern hemisphere titles and a tour against the British and Irish Lions to be considered as the side of their generation.

New Zealand have continued to defeat the Irish team when it counts most, beating Saturday's opponents in the global competition of recent years. They have, additionally, lost just a pair of the last fixtures with England, have overcome the Welsh side in every encounter since the sixties and have always been victorious by Scotland.

Changing Dynamics

But the diminishment of their standing as the game's gold standard will remain frustrating.

Although the New Zealand team excelled through the previous decade - achieving 87% of their fixtures, as well as claiming the global trophy on several instances - the global tournament of the previous competition can now be seen as when the balance of power changed in the international rugby.

The All Blacks defeated the Springboks in their opening match of the tournament in Japan, but it was the South Africans who were ultimately triumphant in Yokohama.

Since then, the All Blacks' victory ratio has dropped to 71%. The Springboks themselves were defeated in ten of their next 26 Test matches but, commencing of 2023, have achieved victory at a rate (83%) to compete with even the former Kiwi champions.

Recent Encounters

During the comparable duration, the 'Boks have won the majority of the past fixtures between the opponents, featuring victory in the 2023 World Cup final.

During their pursuit of their current continental championship, the Springboks delivered a historic loss on the All Blacks courtesy of dominant performance in their home ground, a result which has ignited another round of debate regarding the progress of the squad under Robertson.

Maybe most jarring for followers of the New Zealand team will be that, combined with their usual power, the Springboks' success has come with an creative approach more usually associated with their opposition team.

Playing Philosophy

At the time that the New Zealand team were at the height of their capabilities in previous eras, they were a clinical transition team equipped of destroying opponents from any part of the field and at all times of the match.

Today, their playing philosophy is less defined as Robertson, who has handed out numerous first caps during his two years in command, tries to initially build the fundamental foundations of a winning team.

It has previously announced that the assistant coach overseeing attack, the current coach, will leave his role after the autumn tour, making him the additional person of management team to depart after Leon MacDonald walked away last year after just limited matches.

Performance Gap

It was not merely previous achievements, but his approach, that was expected to transfer from his former team when he began his tenure after the 2023 World Cup but, so far, the two aspects continue to be a continuous improvement.

Commercial Considerations

When financial organization the company acquired shares in All Blacks in the past, the subsequent announcement discussed the "quest of international expansion" for the organization.

That task has perhaps been more challenging by the lack of a global icon. Their key player and the group of Barrett brothers are still well-known figures in the rugby, but the spread of stars has expanded significantly. Their leader is the sole New Zealand player to win global recognition in the current era, in contrast to ten awards in 13 years between 2005 and '07.

International Growth

Instead, attempts have been implemented to establish the New Zealand team into previously untapped markets.

The first leg of this 'Grand Slam' tour brings the All Blacks not to the Irish capital but Chicago, a revisit to the location where the Irish team obtained a landmark success in the contest in previous seasons.

After the reduction of pandemic limitations, the New Zealand team have additionally