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Seeking what would be just a fifth 'Grand Slam' in their storied history, the New Zealand side have embarked on their tour at an pivotal moment.

Games against the Irish team, the Scottish side, the English squad and the Welsh team await the New Zealand team across the coming month but, quite aside from the possibility to equal the teams of 1978, 2005, 2008 and 2010 in the record books, the matches will be used as a yardstick to evaluate the development of the squad under a manager now well established from taking up the reins.

Current Challenges

Doubts over a absence of an distinctive approach, ongoing discussions over team picks and departures from the backroom staff have all added to the sense that the most famous squad in the sport is currently one in a time of change.

Most importantly, it is the drop in outcomes from a previous peak set between the global tournaments of 2011 and 2019 that has caused some to speculate that we have transitioned away of the era of New Zealand dominance.

Team Record

Ahead of their travel for the northern hemisphere, it was revealed that in the coming year, in the absence of the Rugby Championship, the All Blacks will meet the Springboks in a off-season matches termed 'an unprecedented series'.

In the past the rugby's premier teams, there is no question over who has currently outperformed of what marketers have called 'The Premier Rivalry'.

During the last decade, the South African team have won a couple of World Cups, three Rugby Championships and a competition against the northern hemisphere selection to be considered as the side of their era.

The All Blacks have maintained to defeat Ireland when it matters most, overcoming Saturday's opponents in the global competition of 2019 and '23. They have, meanwhile, lost just a pair of the last fixtures with the English team, have beaten the Welsh side in every encounter since over sixty years ago and have never suffered defeat by Scotland.

Evolving Landscape

But the decline of their position as the game's gold standard will remain frustrating.

Whereas the All Blacks reigned supreme through the last ten years - winning eighty-seven percent of their international games, as well as winning the global trophy on two occasions - the global tournament of the previous competition can now be viewed as when the balance of power moved in the global game.

New Zealand defeated the Springboks in their initial fixture of the tournament in the host nation, but it was the South Africans who were eventually successful in Yokohama.

From that point, the New Zealand's winning percentage has fallen to seventy-one percent. South Africa themselves were defeated in 10 of their following games but, since the start of 2023, have won at a percentage (eighty-three percent) to match even the previous All Blacks side.

Head-to-Head

Throughout the comparable duration, the Springboks have secured victory in the majority of the past fixtures between the teams, featuring success in the latest global tournament decider.

In claiming their latest southern hemisphere crown, South Africa delivered a record 43-10 defeat on the New Zealand team through 36 unanswered second-half points in the capital, a outcome which has sparked another round of discussion regarding the progress of the team under Robertson.

Possibly most jarring for fans of the All Blacks will be that, combined with their usual power, the Springboks' success has come with an creative approach more usually associated with their traditional rivals.

Playing Philosophy

At the time that the New Zealand team were at the zenith of their capabilities 10 years ago, they were a devastating offensive machine capable of dismantling competitors from every section of the playing surface and at any moment of the game.

Now, their offensive approach is less defined as the coach, who has awarded numerous first caps during his recent tenure in command, tries to primarily create the more prosaic core elements of a winning team.

It has already been confirmed that the assistant coach in charge of offense, the current coach, will leave his role after the fall series, making him the next individual of Robertson's ticket to depart after another coach departed last year after just five Tests.

Performance Gap

It was not merely previous achievements, but his methodology, that was anticipated to translate from previous club when he took over after the recent tournament but, so far, the two aspects remain a continuous improvement.

Business Factors

Following financial organization Silver Lake acquired shares in All Blacks in the past, the following communication discussed the "quest of international expansion" for the brand.

That goal has possibly been harder by the shortage of a crossover star. Their key player and the collection of Barrett brothers remain well-known figures in the game, but the distribution of talented players has never been spread wider. The captain is the sole All Black to win World Player of the Year in the recent years, in contrast to 10 in multiple seasons between previous generations.

Global Expansion

Alternatively, efforts have been made to introduce the All Blacks into emerging regions.

The first leg of this northern hemisphere series brings the All Blacks not to the Irish capital but the American city, a revisit to the stadium where the Irish team obtained a historic win in the contest during past tours.

Following the reduction of health protocols, the New Zealand team have furthermore