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Aiming for what would be just a fifth 'Grand Slam' in their storied history, the All Blacks have embarked on their tour at an interesting juncture.

Games against the Irish team, the Scottish side, the English squad and Wales await Scott Robertson's side across the next four weekends but, quite aside from the opportunity to equal the squads of 1978, 2005, 2008 and 2010 in the annals of rugby, the matches will be used as a benchmark to measure the development of the squad under a manager now 24 months into from taking up the reins.

Present Difficulties

Concerns over a absence of an distinctive approach, enduring debates over team picks and exits from the coaching ticket have all contributed to the sense that the most famous squad in the game is now one in a time of change.

Most significantly, it is the dip in outcomes from a previous peak set between the global tournaments of the last decade that has prompted some to theorize that we have transitioned away of the age of Kiwi superiority.

Team Record

Prior to their departure for the northern hemisphere, it was confirmed that next year, in the non-existence of the southern hemisphere competition, the All Blacks will meet South Africa in a summer series termed 'a unique competition'.

In the past the rugby's premier teams, there is clear agreement over who has recently got the better of what marketers have described 'Rugby's Greatest Rivalry'.

In recent seasons, the Springboks have won a two of World Cups, three southern hemisphere titles and a competition against the home nations team to be considered as the side of their era.

New Zealand have maintained to defeat Ireland when it counts most, defeating this weekend's rivals in the global competition of recent years. They have, at the same time, lost just a couple of the last fixtures with England, have defeated the Welsh side in every encounter since the sixties and have never suffered defeat by the Scottish team.

Changing Dynamics

But the diminishment of their standing as the game's gold standard will continue to rankle.

Although the New Zealand team dominated through the 2010s - securing eighty-seven percent of their Test matches, as well as winning the World Cup on several instances - the global tournament of 2019 can now be seen as when the competitive landscape moved in the global game.

New Zealand defeated South Africa in their opening match of the championship in Japan, but it was the South Africans who were ultimately triumphant in Yokohama.

After that event, the New Zealand's success rate has declined to seventy-one percent. South Africa themselves lost ten of their next 26 Test matches but, since the start of 2023, have won at a percentage (eighty-three percent) to match even the previous All Blacks side.

Direct Competition

During the equivalent timeframe, the 'Boks have secured victory in the majority of the seven meetings between the teams, comprising success in the 2023 World Cup final.

During their pursuit of their most recent southern hemisphere crown, Rassie Erasmus' side inflicted a record 43-10 defeat on the All Blacks thanks to 36 unanswered second-half points in their home ground, a result which has ignited another wave of controversy regarding the progress of the team under their leader.

Maybe most concerning for supporters of the All Blacks will be that, alongside their characteristic physicality, South Africa's triumph has come with an offensive flair more usually associated with their traditional rivals.

Playing Philosophy

During the period when the New Zealand team were at the height of their powers 10 years ago, they were a devastating offensive machine equipped of destroying competitors from any part of the field and at any point of the game.

Now, their offensive approach is less defined as Robertson, who has handed out multiple new players during his 24 months in control, tries to initially build the fundamental foundations of a successful side.

It has already been confirmed that the assistant coach in charge of offense, the current coach, will exit the team after the autumn tour, becoming the next individual of management team to exit after Leon MacDonald walked away last year after just limited matches.

Expectations vs Reality

It was not only his winning record, but his methodology, that was anticipated to carry over from previous club when he began his tenure after the global competition but, so far, each are still a ongoing development.

Organizational Strategy

After financial organization Silver Lake bought a stake in New Zealand rugby in 2022, the subsequent announcement spoke of the "quest of international expansion" for the brand.

That objective has possibly been more difficult by the absence of a international celebrity. The current captain and the trio of related players remain recognizable personalities in the sport, but the distribution of stars has never been spread wider. Savea is the single All Black to receive World Player of the Year in the past six seasons, in contrast to ten awards in multiple seasons between the mid-2000s.

International Growth

Alternatively, initiatives have been made to transplant the All Blacks into emerging regions.

The initial stage of this European campaign brings New Zealand not to the Irish capital but the American city, a return to the stadium where the Irish team obtained a first ever victory in the match in previous seasons.

After the easing of pandemic limitations, the All Blacks have also