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Pursuing what would be just a fifth northern hemisphere clean sweep in their storied history, the All Blacks have embarked on their tour at an pivotal moment.

Matches against the Irish team, the Scottish side, England and Wales await Scott Robertson's side across the upcoming weeks but, beyond the chance to match the teams of 1978, 2005, 2008 and 2010 in the history books, the fixtures will be used as a measure to measure the development of the squad under a manager now well established from beginning his tenure.

Current Challenges

Concerns over a lack of an clear playing identity, enduring debates over player choices and departures from the management team have all added to the perception that the best-known side in the game is currently one in a state of flux.

Most importantly, it is the drop in outcomes from a historic high watermark set between the World Cups of 2011 and 2019 that has prompted some to theorize that we have evolved beyond of the era of New Zealand dominance.

Past Performance

Prior to their travel for the European tour, it was announced that next year, in the absence of the southern hemisphere competition, New Zealand will face South Africa in a off-season matches termed 'a unique competition'.

Historically the sport's top competitors, there is little doubt over who has currently outperformed of what organizers have labeled 'Rugby's Greatest Rivalry'.

During the last decade, the South African team have claimed a two of World Cups, three Rugby Championships and a series against the northern hemisphere selection to be regarded as the team of their generation.

New Zealand have maintained to overcome the Irish team when it counts most, overcoming their next challengers in the global competition of recent years. They have, additionally, lost just a couple of the recent encounters with the English team, have overcome Wales in each game since 1963 and have remained unbeaten by Scotland.

Changing Dynamics

But the loss of their standing as the sport's measure of excellence will persist as an irritation.

While the New Zealand team excelled through the 2010s - securing eighty-seven percent of their international games, as well as winning the World Cup on several instances - the World Cup of 2019 can now be regarded as when the balance of power moved in the world sport.

New Zealand overcame the Springboks in their first game of the tournament in Japan, but it was the South Africans who were eventually successful in the championship match.

From that point, the New Zealand's victory ratio has fallen to seventy-one percent. The Springboks themselves lost ten of their next 26 Test matches but, commencing of last year, have achieved victory at a percentage (83%) to rival even the last great New Zealand team.

Direct Competition

Over the comparable duration, the 'Boks have won the majority of the seven meetings between the sides, comprising success in the recent championship match.

During their pursuit of their latest regional title, Rassie Erasmus' side inflicted a significant beating on the All Blacks thanks to 36 unanswered second-half points in their home ground, a result which has ignited another series of discussion regarding the progress of the squad under Robertson.

Maybe most concerning for followers of the New Zealand team will be that, alongside their usual power, the Springboks' success has come with an attacking verve more usually associated with their traditional rivals.

Playing Philosophy

At the time that the New Zealand team were at the peak of their abilities 10 years ago, they were a ruthless counter-attacking unit capable of shredding competitors from all areas of the pitch and at any point of the game.

Now, their attacking style is less defined as Robertson, who has handed out 19 debuts during his recent tenure in command, tries to first establish the more prosaic foundations of a winning team.

It has already been confirmed that the backroom staff member in charge of scoring, Jason Holland, will depart his position after the fall series, becoming the additional person of the coaching staff to depart after another coach walked away last year after just a handful of games.

Expectations vs Reality

It was not just previous achievements, but his methodology, that was anticipated to transfer from his former team when he assumed control after the global competition but, so far, each remain a continuous improvement.

Commercial Considerations

Following financial organization the company invested capital in All Blacks in 2022, the following communication mentioned the "pursuit of international expansion" for the brand.

That objective has perhaps been harder by the lack of a international celebrity. Ardie Savea and the collection of family members continue to be household names in the game, but the concentration of key individuals has expanded significantly. Savea is the only All Black to receive World Player of the Year in the current era, in comparison to 10 in multiple seasons between the mid-2000s.

Global Expansion

Alternatively, efforts have been undertaken to transplant the All Blacks into emerging regions.

The opening phase of this 'Grand Slam' tour brings the All Blacks not to the Irish capital but the American city, a revisit to the stadium where Ireland obtained a historic win in the contest during past tours.

Since the reduction of pandemic limitations, the All Blacks have furthermore