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Seeking what would be just a fifth 'Grand Slam' in their storied history, the All Blacks have embarked on their tour at an interesting juncture.

Matches against Ireland, the Scottish side, England and Wales await the All Blacks across the upcoming weeks but, in addition to the opportunity to equal the sides of previous successful tours in the history books, the games will be used as a measure to measure the progress of the team under a head coach now well established from beginning his tenure.

Present Difficulties

Doubts over a lack of an identifiable style, ongoing discussions over team picks and exits from the coaching ticket have all fueled the feeling that the most famous squad in the game is currently one in a state of flux.

Most importantly, it is the drop in results from a previous peak set between the global tournaments of 2011 and 2019 that has prompted some to speculate that we have transitioned away of the period of All Black exceptionalism.

Team Record

Before their departure for the European tour, it was revealed that in the coming year, in the non-existence of the Rugby Championship, the All Blacks will play South Africa in a warm-weather tour called 'an unprecedented series'.

Historically the rugby's premier teams, there is clear agreement over who has currently outperformed of what marketers have called 'The Ultimate Contest'.

Over the past seven years, the Springboks have won a couple of global tournaments, three southern hemisphere titles and a series against the northern hemisphere selection to be regarded as the team of their era.

New Zealand have continued to overcome the Irish team when it matters most, beating this weekend's rivals in the tournament knockout stages of recent years. They have, at the same time, been defeated in just a pair of the recent encounters with England, have defeated Wales in all matches since 1963 and have never suffered defeat by Scotland.

Changing Dynamics

But the loss of their status as the rugby's benchmark will remain frustrating.

Whereas the All Blacks reigned supreme through the last ten years - achieving 87% of their international games, as well as claiming the global trophy on multiple times - the World Cup of the previous competition can now be regarded as when the competitive landscape moved in the global game.

New Zealand beat South Africa in their opening match of the tournament in the host nation, but it was the South Africans who were eventually successful in Yokohama.

From that point, the New Zealand's success rate has fallen to seventy-one percent. South Africa themselves lost ten of their following games but, commencing of 2023, have won at a frequency (eighty-three percent) to match even the former Kiwi champions.

Head-to-Head

During the equivalent timeframe, the Springboks have secured victory in five of the seven meetings between the teams, including success in the latest global tournament decider.

While securing their current continental championship, South Africa inflicted a historic loss on the New Zealand team thanks to 36 unanswered second-half points in their home ground, a outcome which has triggered another series of debate concerning the development of the side under Robertson.

Perhaps most jarring for followers of the All Blacks will be that, allied to their characteristic physicality, South Africa's achievement has come with an creative approach more typically linked with their opposition team.

Playing Philosophy

During the period when the New Zealand team were at the height of their abilities in previous eras, they were a clinical transition team able of dismantling competitors from all areas of the pitch and at any moment of the game.

Now, their playing philosophy is unclear as the coach, who has handed out numerous first caps during his recent tenure in control, tries to initially build the more prosaic building blocks of a winning team.

It has previously announced that the supporting manager responsible for attack, the current coach, will depart his position after the fall series, making him the additional person of the coaching staff to depart after another coach walked away last year after just five Tests.

Performance Gap

It was not just Robertson's success, but his approach, that was anticipated to transfer from previous club when he took over after the 2023 World Cup but, so far, the two aspects continue to be a work in progress.

Business Factors

After private equity firm the company acquired shares in All Blacks in recent years, the subsequent announcement discussed the "search of international expansion" for the organization.

That objective has possibly been more challenging by the lack of a global icon. The current captain and the group of family members are still recognizable personalities in the rugby, but the concentration of key individuals has expanded significantly. The captain is the single New Zealand player to earn World Player of the Year in the recent years, in opposition to ten awards in multiple seasons between the mid-2000s.

International Growth

Instead, attempts have been undertaken to transplant the New Zealand team into emerging regions.

The initial stage of this European campaign 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 match nine years ago.

Since the easing of health protocols, the All Blacks have also