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

Fixtures against the Irish team, the Scottish side, the English squad and Wales await the All Blacks across the upcoming weeks but, beyond the possibility to join the teams of previous successful tours in the annals of rugby, the matches will be used as a measure to measure the development of the team under a manager now well established from beginning his tenure.

Team Issues

Doubts over a lack of an distinctive approach, enduring debates over player choices and departures from the backroom staff have all contributed to the sense that the most recognisable team in the rugby is currently one in a period of transition.

Most pertinently, it is the drop in outcomes from a past excellence set between the World Cups of 2011 and 2019 that has caused some to suggest that we have evolved beyond of the period of All Black exceptionalism.

Team Record

Before their departure for the European tour, it was announced that next year, in the lack of the southern hemisphere competition, the All Blacks will meet the Springboks in a off-season matches dubbed 'an unprecedented series'.

In the past the sport's top competitors, there is no question over who has lately dominated of what marketers have called 'Rugby's Greatest Rivalry'.

Over the past seven years, the Springboks have secured a pair of global tournaments, three southern hemisphere titles and a series against the northern hemisphere selection to be regarded as the squad of their generation.

The All Blacks have maintained to beat the Irish team when it is crucial, defeating Saturday's opponents in the World Cup quarter finals of 2019 and '23. They have, additionally, been defeated in just a pair of the recent encounters with England, have defeated Wales in all matches since the sixties and have never suffered defeat by the Scottish team.

Evolving Landscape

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

While the All Blacks reigned supreme through the last ten years - securing eighty-seven percent of their Test matches, as well as claiming the Webb Ellis on several instances - the World Cup of 2019 can now be viewed as when the competitive landscape changed in the international rugby.

New Zealand beat South Africa in their opening match of the competition in the host nation, but it was the South Africans who were ultimately triumphant in the championship match.

Since then, the All Blacks' winning percentage has dropped to seventy-one percent. The Springboks themselves lost 10 of their subsequent fixtures but, since the start of last year, have achieved victory at a frequency (eighty-three percent) to match even the previous All Blacks side.

Direct Competition

Throughout the equivalent timeframe, the 'Boks have secured victory in five of the seven meetings between the teams, comprising success in the latest global tournament decider.

While securing their most recent southern hemisphere crown, Rassie Erasmus' side administered a record 43-10 defeat on the All Blacks through overwhelming display in the capital, a outcome which has sparked another wave of debate regarding the progress of the team under the coach.

Possibly most jarring for followers of the All Blacks will be that, combined with their characteristic physicality, the Springboks' triumph has come with an creative approach more commonly connected with their opposition team.

Style Evolution

When the All Blacks were at the height of their abilities 10 years ago, they were a clinical transition team equipped of destroying opponents from every section of the field and at any moment of the contest.

Currently, their offensive approach is unclear as Robertson, who has awarded 19 debuts during his recent tenure in command, tries to initially build the more prosaic foundations of a competitive squad.

It has previously announced that the assistant coach in charge of attack, their offensive coordinator, will exit the team after the autumn tour, becoming the second member of management team to depart after another coach left last year after just limited matches.

Expectations vs Reality

It was not merely Robertson's success, but his methodology, that was anticipated to carry over from previous club when he took over after the global competition but, to date, each remain a work in progress.

Organizational Strategy

After investment group the company invested capital in All Blacks in the past, the subsequent announcement mentioned the "pursuit of worldwide growth" for the organization.

That task has perhaps been harder by the lack of a global icon. Ardie Savea and the collection of related players are still well-known figures in the game, but the spread of key individuals has expanded significantly. Their leader is the single All Black to receive global recognition in the recent years, in opposition to 10 in over a decade between previous generations.

International Growth

Alternatively, efforts have been made to introduce the New Zealand team into emerging regions.

The initial stage of this 'Grand Slam' tour brings New Zealand not to the Irish capital but the American city, a comeback to the stadium where the Irish team secured a historic win in the fixture in previous seasons.

Following the easing of Covid-19 travel restrictions, the All Blacks have additionally