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Pursuing what would be just a fifth 'Grand Slam' in their legendary past, the New Zealand side have headed north at an interesting juncture.

Games against the Irish team, Scotland, the English squad and the Welsh team await Scott Robertson's side across the next four weekends but, quite aside from the opportunity to match the sides of previous successful tours in the annals of rugby, the games will be used as a yardstick to assess the progress of the side under a manager now well established from assuming control.

Team Issues

Concerns over a absence of an clear playing identity, enduring debates over team picks and leavings from the management team have all added to the sense that the best-known side in the rugby is presently one in a period of transition.

Most significantly, it is the drop in results from a past excellence set between the World Cups of 2011 and 2019 that has prompted some to theorize that we have moved out of the period of Kiwi superiority.

Past Performance

Prior to their travel for the European tour, it was confirmed that next year, in the absence of the southern hemisphere competition, the All Blacks will face the Springboks in a summer series called 'a tour like no other'.

Historically the game's two strongest sides, there is little doubt over who has recently got the better of what organizers have described 'Rugby's Greatest Rivalry'.

In recent seasons, the South African team have secured a pair of World Cups, three Rugby Championships and a tour against the northern hemisphere selection to be viewed as the side of their period.

New Zealand have continued to overcome the Irish team when it counts most, defeating their next challengers in the tournament knockout stages of 2019 and '23. They have, at the same time, lost just two of the last fixtures with the English team, have beaten the Welsh side in each game since the sixties and have remained unbeaten by the Scottish team.

Changing Dynamics

But the decline of their standing as the rugby's benchmark will remain frustrating.

Whereas the All Blacks dominated through the last ten years - winning eighty-seven percent of their international games, as well as claiming the World Cup on multiple times - the World Cup of 2019 can now be regarded as when the balance of power shifted in the global game.

New Zealand beat South Africa in their initial fixture of the tournament in Japan, but it was the Boks' who were finally victorious in the final.

From that point, the New Zealand's winning percentage has fallen to 71%. The Springboks themselves lost ten of their following games but, commencing of last year, have won at a rate (eighty-three percent) to rival even the last great New Zealand team.

Head-to-Head

During the comparable duration, the South African team have won five of the past fixtures between the sides, comprising success in the recent championship match.

In claiming their latest continental championship, South Africa administered a historic loss on the All Blacks thanks to dominant performance in their home ground, a score which has triggered another series of controversy about the direction of the squad under Robertson.

Possibly most troubling for fans of the New Zealand team will be that, allied to their usual power, the Springboks' achievement has come with an creative approach more typically linked with their traditional rivals.

Style Evolution

During the period when the New Zealand team were at the zenith of their powers in previous eras, they were a devastating offensive machine capable of shredding opponents from any part of the field and at any point of the match.

Today, their offensive approach is more ambiguous as their leader, who has handed out 19 debuts during his 24 months in charge, tries to initially build the fundamental foundations of a successful side.

It has recently revealed that the supporting manager overseeing offense, the current coach, will exit the team after the autumn tour, making him the additional person of the coaching staff to exit after another coach left last year after just limited matches.

Expectations vs Reality

It was not just Robertson's success, but his approach, that was anticipated to carry over from previous club when he assumed control after the recent tournament but, so far, both continue to be a continuous improvement.

Organizational Strategy

After financial organization the company bought a stake in All Blacks in the past, the ensuing statement spoke of the "pursuit of international expansion" for the team.

That objective has maybe been more difficult by the absence of a global icon. The current captain and the group of related players are still household names in the rugby, but the spread of stars has become more diverse. Savea is the single All Black to earn global recognition in the recent years, in comparison to 10 in over a decade between previous generations.

International Growth

Rather, initiatives have been made to transplant the New Zealand team into new territories.

The opening phase of this European campaign brings New Zealand not to the Irish capital but Chicago, a comeback to the stadium where Ireland achieved a historic win in the contest during past tours.

Following the easing of health protocols, the New Zealand team have also