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Aiming for what would be just a fifth northern hemisphere clean sweep in their legendary past, the New Zealand side have headed north at an pivotal moment.

Games against Ireland, the Scottish side, the English squad and the Welsh team await Scott Robertson's side across the coming month but, in addition to the opportunity to equal the teams of previous successful tours in the history books, the games will be used as a measure to measure the improvement of the squad under a manager now well established from beginning his tenure.

Team Issues

Questions over a absence of an clear playing identity, enduring debates over player choices and exits from the coaching ticket have all fueled the feeling that the most famous squad in the sport is presently one in a time of change.

Most pertinently, it is the dip in outcomes from a previous peak set between the World Cups of the last decade that has prompted some to suggest that we have moved out of the era of All Black exceptionalism.

Past Performance

Ahead of their travel for the European tour, it was confirmed that in the coming year, in the lack of the Rugby Championship, New Zealand will play South Africa in a summer series called 'an unprecedented series'.

In the past the game's two strongest sides, 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 secured a couple of World Cups, three southern hemisphere titles and a competition against the home nations team to be regarded as the squad of their generation.

The All Blacks have persisted to defeat Ireland when it matters most, defeating their next challengers in the World Cup quarter finals of recent years. They have, at the same time, been defeated in just a couple of the last fixtures with England, have beaten Wales in every encounter since 1963 and have never suffered defeat by the Scottish team.

Evolving Landscape

But the decline of their position as the rugby's benchmark will continue to rankle.

While the New Zealand team dominated through the previous decade - winning eighty-seven percent of their Test matches, as well as claiming the Webb Ellis on two occasions - the global tournament of the previous competition can now be viewed as when the competitive landscape changed in the global game.

New Zealand beat the Springboks in their initial fixture of the championship in Japan, but it was the Boks' who were ultimately triumphant in Yokohama.

From that point, the All Blacks' success rate has declined to 71%. South Africa themselves were defeated in 10 of their following games but, from the beginning of 2023, have achieved victory at a rate (eighty-three percent) to compete with even the previous All Blacks side.

Direct Competition

Throughout the equivalent timeframe, the South African team have won the majority of the past fixtures between the teams, comprising success in the 2023 World Cup final.

While securing their most recent regional title, the Springboks administered a historic loss on the All Blacks thanks to overwhelming display in Wellington, a outcome which has sparked another wave of discussion regarding the direction of the squad under their leader.

Maybe most jarring for supporters of the New Zealand team will be that, allied to their traditional strength, South Africa's achievement has come with an offensive flair more commonly connected with their opposition team.

Style Evolution

At the time that the New Zealand team were at the peak of their capabilities 10 years ago, they were a devastating offensive machine capable of dismantling opponents from every section of the field and at all times of the contest.

Currently, their playing philosophy is unclear as Robertson, who has awarded multiple new players during his 24 months in control, tries to primarily create the basic foundations of a successful side.

It has previously announced that the assistant coach in charge of scoring, their offensive coordinator, will depart his position after the autumn tour, making him the next individual of Robertson's ticket to exit after another coach departed last year after just limited matches.

Team Development

It was not only his winning record, but his approach, that was expected to carry over from Crusaders when he began his tenure after the 2023 World Cup but, so far, the two aspects continue to be a ongoing development.

Organizational Strategy

Following financial organization investors invested capital in All Blacks in the past, the ensuing statement discussed the "quest of new global opportunities" for the brand.

That objective has maybe been more difficult by the absence of a global icon. The current captain and the group of Barrett brothers continue to be well-known figures in the rugby, but the concentration of stars has become more diverse. Savea is the single All Black to receive international honors in the past six seasons, in opposition to 10 in multiple seasons between 2005 and '07.

Worldwide Reach

Instead, efforts have been undertaken to introduce the All Blacks into new territories.

The opening phase of this northern hemisphere series brings the All Blacks not to the Irish capital but Chicago, a revisit to the location where the Irish team obtained a historic win in the contest during past tours.

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