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Seeking what would be just a fifth 'Grand Slam' in their illustrious legacy, the New Zealand side have embarked on their tour at an interesting juncture.

Games against the Irish team, Scotland, England and the Welsh team await the All Blacks across the next four weekends but, quite aside from the chance to match the teams of previous successful tours in the record books, the matches will be used as a yardstick to evaluate the progress of the side under a head coach now well established from taking up the reins.

Team Issues

Concerns over a shortage of an clear playing identity, ongoing discussions over player choices and leavings from the management team have all fueled the perception that the most famous squad in the sport is presently one in a period of transition.

Most importantly, it is the decline in performances from a historic high watermark set between the World Cups of the last decade that has caused some to theorize that we have moved out of the period of All Black exceptionalism.

Past Performance

Before their journey for the European tour, it was confirmed that during the following season, in the lack of the southern hemisphere competition, New Zealand will meet South Africa in a warm-weather tour dubbed 'a unique competition'.

In the past the sport's top competitors, there is clear agreement over who has lately dominated of what marketers have called 'Rugby's Greatest Rivalry'.

Over the past seven years, the South African team have secured a couple of World Cups, three Rugby Championships and a competition against the British and Irish Lions to be viewed as the side of their period.

New Zealand have persisted to beat Ireland when it counts most, overcoming this weekend's rivals in the World Cup quarter finals of the past two tournaments. They have, at the same time, been defeated in just a pair of the recent encounters with the English team, have beaten the Welsh side in every encounter since over sixty years ago and have never suffered defeat by Scotland.

Changing Dynamics

But the loss of their position as the game's gold standard will persist as an irritation.

Whereas the All Blacks reigned supreme through the 2010s - winning eighty-seven percent of their fixtures, as well as winning the Webb Ellis on multiple times - the global tournament of 2019 can now be regarded as when the balance of power changed in the global game.

The All Blacks overcame the Springboks in their initial fixture of the tournament in Japan, but it was the Boks' who were ultimately triumphant in Yokohama.

Since then, the New Zealand's success rate has declined to 71%. South Africa themselves lost 10 of their next 26 Test matches but, from the beginning of 2023, have achieved victory at a percentage (83%) to compete with even the previous All Blacks side.

Recent Encounters

Throughout the comparable duration, the South African team have secured victory in the majority of the recent encounters between the sides, including victory in the recent championship match.

While securing their latest regional title, South Africa delivered a historic loss on the New Zealand team through 36 unanswered second-half points in their home ground, a outcome which has ignited another wave of discussion concerning the direction of the team under their leader.

Perhaps most concerning for fans of the All Blacks will be that, allied to their usual power, South Africa's achievement has come with an attacking verve more typically linked with their own side.

Team Identity

When the New Zealand team were at the peak of their powers 10 years ago, they were a clinical transition team capable of dismantling competitors from all areas of the playing surface and at any point of the game.

Today, their playing philosophy is less defined as Robertson, who has given numerous first caps during his 24 months in control, tries to first establish the basic foundations of a successful side.

It has already been confirmed that the backroom staff member in charge of offense, the current coach, will exit the team after the upcoming matches, becoming the additional person of management team to exit after Leon MacDonald walked away last year after just a handful of games.

Expectations vs Reality

It was not only Robertson's success, but his methodology, that was expected to translate from previous club when he assumed control after the global competition but, to date, both are still a work in progress.

Organizational Strategy

After financial organization Silver Lake bought a stake in All Blacks in the past, the following communication spoke of the "quest of worldwide growth" for the team.

That objective has possibly been more challenging by the shortage of a international celebrity. Their key player and the trio of family members continue to be well-known figures in the rugby, but the distribution of stars has become more diverse. Savea is the single All Black to receive global recognition in the recent years, in comparison to 10 in over a decade between 2005 and '07.

Worldwide Reach

Alternatively, efforts have been implemented to establish the New Zealand team into previously untapped markets.

The opening phase of this European campaign brings New Zealand not to the Irish capital but the American city, a revisit to the Soldier Field venue where the Irish team secured a historic win in the contest in previous seasons.

Since the relaxation of pandemic limitations, the New Zealand team have additionally