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Pursuing what would be just a fifth tour victory in their storied history, the All Blacks have headed north at an crucial period.

Matches against the Irish team, Scotland, England and the Welsh team await the New Zealand team across the coming month but, in addition to the opportunity to equal the teams of 1978, 2005, 2008 and 2010 in the record books, the games will be used as a measure to evaluate the development of the squad under a leader now two years on from taking up the reins.

Team Issues

Questions over a lack of an distinctive approach, continuing controversies over team picks and departures from the management team have all fueled the feeling that the most recognisable team in the game is now one in a period of transition.

Most pertinently, it is the decline in results from a previous peak set between the World Cups of 2011 and 2019 that has led some to speculate that we have moved out of the age of All Black exceptionalism.

Past Performance

Prior to their journey for the fall series, it was announced that next year, in the absence of the Rugby Championship, New Zealand will meet the Springboks in a summer series dubbed 'a unique competition'.

Historically the game's two strongest sides, there is little doubt over who has recently got the better of what marketers have labeled 'The Premier Rivalry'.

Over the past seven years, the Springboks have won a pair of World Cups, three southern hemisphere titles and a competition against the British and Irish Lions to be regarded as the squad of their generation.

New Zealand have continued to overcome the Irish team when it counts most, beating their next challengers in the tournament knockout stages of 2019 and '23. They have, additionally, been defeated in just a couple of the recent encounters with England, have overcome Wales in each game since 1963 and have always been victorious by the Scottish team.

Shifting Balance

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

While the All Blacks excelled through the previous decade - securing 87% of their Test matches, as well as lifting the World Cup on two occasions - the global tournament of 2019 can now be seen as when the balance of power shifted in the world sport.

New Zealand overcame the Springboks in their opening match of the competition in the host nation, but it was the Boks' who were finally victorious in the final.

Since then, the New Zealand's winning percentage has declined to seventy-one percent. The Springboks themselves lost 10 of their subsequent fixtures but, since the start of last year, have won at a frequency (eighty-three percent) to rival even the last great New Zealand team.

Recent Encounters

Over the same period, the 'Boks have secured victory in five of the seven meetings between the opponents, including victory in the recent championship match.

While securing their current southern hemisphere crown, Rassie Erasmus' side administered a record 43-10 defeat on the All Blacks through 36 unanswered second-half points in their home ground, a result which has ignited another wave of discussion regarding the progress of the side under their leader.

Possibly most troubling for supporters of the New Zealand team will be that, combined with their usual power, the Springboks' triumph has come with an creative approach more commonly connected with their opposition team.

Team Identity

When the All Blacks were at the peak of their capabilities a decade past, they were a clinical transition team equipped of dismantling rivals from every section of the field and at any moment of the game.

Today, their playing philosophy is more ambiguous as their leader, who has handed out multiple new players during his recent tenure in control, tries to first establish the fundamental core elements of a competitive squad.

It has previously announced that the backroom staff member overseeing offense, their offensive coordinator, will leave his role after the upcoming matches, making him the additional person of Robertson's ticket to depart after another coach left last year after just a handful of games.

Team Development

It was not just Robertson's success, but his style, that was predicted to carry over from Crusaders when he began his tenure after the recent tournament but, to date, both continue to be a continuous improvement.

Organizational Strategy

Following financial organization Silver Lake invested capital in All Blacks in recent years, the following communication spoke of the "quest of new global opportunities" for the brand.

That goal has possibly been harder by the absence of a global icon. Their key player and the collection of related players remain household names in the sport, but the concentration of key individuals has become more diverse. Savea is the only All Black to earn global recognition in the recent years, in opposition to ten awards in 13 years between 2005 and '07.

Worldwide Reach

Rather, attempts 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 return to the Soldier Field venue where Ireland secured a historic win in the contest nine years ago.

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