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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 embarked on their tour at an crucial period.

Matches against the Irish team, Scotland, the English squad and Wales await the New Zealand team across the upcoming weeks but, quite aside from the chance to equal the teams of 1978, 2005, 2008 and 2010 in the history books, the matches will be used as a benchmark to measure the development of the squad under a head coach now two years on from beginning his tenure.

Current Challenges

Concerns over a lack of an identifiable style, continuing controversies over selection and departures from the management team have all added to the perception that the most famous squad in the game is currently one in a state of flux.

Most pertinently, it is the decline in performances from a past excellence set between the World Cups of the last decade that has caused some to theorize that we have moved out of the age of Kiwi superiority.

Team Record

Prior to their travel for the fall series, it was announced that during the following season, in the non-existence of the southern hemisphere competition, the All Blacks will play South Africa in a off-season matches called 'a tour like no other'.

Historically the rugby's premier teams, there is no question over who has lately dominated of what promoters have called 'The Premier Rivalry'.

During the last decade, the Springboks have won a pair of global tournaments, three Rugby Championships and a tour against the home nations team to be regarded as the team of their period.

New Zealand have maintained to defeat Ireland when it is crucial, beating this weekend's rivals in the global competition of the past two tournaments. They have, additionally, lost just two of the recent encounters with the English team, have overcome Wales in all matches since over sixty years ago and have remained unbeaten by Scotland.

Evolving Landscape

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

While the New Zealand team dominated through the 2010s - achieving 87% of their fixtures, as well as lifting the World Cup on several instances - the global tournament of the previous competition can now be regarded as when the balance of power changed in the international rugby.

The All Blacks beat South Africa in their initial fixture of the championship in Japan, but it was the South Africans who were eventually successful in the final.

From that point, the New Zealand's winning percentage has fallen to 71%. South Africa themselves were defeated in 10 of their subsequent fixtures but, from the beginning of 2023, have won at a percentage (83%) to match even the last great New Zealand team.

Head-to-Head

Over the comparable duration, the South African team have secured victory in five of the past fixtures between the sides, including victory in the latest global tournament decider.

While securing their most recent continental championship, the Springboks inflicted a historic loss on the New Zealand team through overwhelming display in Wellington, a score which has sparked another round of discussion regarding the progress of the side under their leader.

Maybe most troubling for supporters of the All Blacks will be that, combined with their usual power, the Springboks' triumph has come with an creative approach more typically linked with their own side.

Playing Philosophy

At the time that the All Blacks were at the height of their powers 10 years ago, they were a devastating offensive machine able of destroying competitors from any part of the playing surface and at all times of the match.

Currently, their attacking style is more ambiguous as their leader, who has given multiple new players during his recent tenure in command, tries to initially build the fundamental core elements of a winning team.

It has recently revealed that the assistant coach overseeing scoring, the current coach, will exit the team after the upcoming matches, making him the additional person of management team to leave after previous staff member left last year after just five Tests.

Team Development

It was not only Robertson's success, but his approach, that was expected to carry over from previous club when he took over after the 2023 World Cup but, as yet, both continue to be a work in progress.

Business Factors

After private equity firm Silver Lake invested capital in All Blacks in recent years, the subsequent announcement discussed the "search of worldwide growth" for the team.

That objective has perhaps been more difficult by the shortage of a crossover star. The current captain and the collection of related players remain household names in the rugby, but the spread of talented players has become more diverse. Their leader is the only All Black to receive World Player of the Year in the past six seasons, in opposition to ten awards in 13 years between the mid-2000s.

Global Expansion

Alternatively, efforts have been undertaken to introduce the All Blacks into previously untapped markets.

The first leg of this northern hemisphere series brings New Zealand not to Dublin but Chicago, a return to the stadium where the Irish team secured a historic win in the contest in previous seasons.

Since the reduction of pandemic limitations, the New Zealand team have also