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Pursuing what would be just a fifth tour victory in their legendary past, the All Blacks have embarked on their tour at an crucial period.

Fixtures against the Irish team, the Scottish side, England and the Welsh team await the New Zealand team across the upcoming weeks but, beyond the possibility to join the sides of 1978, 2005, 2008 and 2010 in the record books, the matches will be used as a benchmark to measure the development of the squad under a manager now well established from beginning his tenure.

Present Difficulties

Doubts over a shortage of an identifiable style, continuing controversies over team picks and departures from the backroom staff have all fueled the sense that the most famous squad in the rugby is now one in a time of change.

Most significantly, it is the decline in outcomes from a past excellence set between the World Cups of 2011 and 2019 that has led some to theorize that we have evolved beyond of the period of All Black exceptionalism.

Past Performance

Ahead of their journey for the northern hemisphere, it was revealed that during the following season, in the absence of the Rugby Championship, the All Blacks will face the Springboks in a off-season matches termed 'an unprecedented series'.

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

Over the past seven years, the South African team have won a pair of World Cups, three Rugby Championships and a series against the British and Irish Lions to be considered as the squad of their generation.

New Zealand have persisted to overcome the Irish team when it matters most, defeating this weekend's rivals in the World Cup quarter finals of 2019 and '23. They have, meanwhile, been defeated in just a pair of the past 21 meetings with England, have overcome Wales in all matches since 1963 and have always been victorious by the Scottish team.

Shifting Balance

But the loss of their position as the game's gold standard will continue to rankle.

Whereas the All Blacks reigned supreme through the previous decade - achieving eighty-seven percent of their fixtures, as well as claiming the World Cup on several instances - the global tournament of the previous competition can now be viewed as when the balance of power shifted in the world sport.

The All Blacks overcame the Springboks in their first game of the championship in Japan, but it was the Boks' who were ultimately triumphant in the championship match.

After that event, the New Zealand's victory ratio has fallen to 71%. South Africa themselves were defeated in ten of their subsequent fixtures but, from the beginning of 2023, have won at a frequency (83%) to match even the last great New Zealand team.

Recent Encounters

Throughout the same period, the Springboks have secured victory in five of the recent encounters between the teams, comprising success in the recent championship match.

In claiming their most recent regional title, the Springboks inflicted a historic loss on the All Blacks thanks to overwhelming display in Wellington, a score which has triggered another series of controversy regarding the progress of the side under their leader.

Possibly most troubling for fans of the New Zealand team will be that, combined with their characteristic physicality, the Springboks' achievement has come with an offensive flair more typically linked with their opposition team.

Team Identity

When the New Zealand team were at the peak of their abilities in previous eras, they were a ruthless counter-attacking unit able of destroying opponents from every section of the field and at any moment of the game.

Now, their attacking style is less defined as their leader, who has given multiple new players during his recent tenure in charge, tries to primarily create the fundamental building blocks of a winning team.

It has recently revealed that the backroom staff member in charge of attack, their offensive coordinator, will depart his position after the autumn tour, becoming the next individual of Robertson's ticket to leave after another coach walked away last year after just a handful of games.

Team Development

It was not just Robertson's success, but his methodology, that was expected to carry over from previous club when he began his tenure after the global competition but, so far, both are still a continuous improvement.

Organizational Strategy

When investment group investors acquired shares in All Blacks in the past, the following communication discussed the "pursuit of international expansion" for the organization.

That objective has possibly been more challenging by the absence of a global icon. Ardie Savea and the trio of related players continue to be household names in the sport, but the distribution of stars has never been spread wider. Their leader is the single New Zealand player to earn international honors in the past six seasons, in opposition to 10 in multiple seasons between previous generations.

International Growth

Rather, efforts have been implemented to establish the All Blacks into new territories.

The initial stage of this northern hemisphere series brings New Zealand not to Dublin but the American city, a revisit to the Soldier Field venue where Ireland achieved a first ever victory in the contest nine years ago.

Since the reduction of Covid-19 travel restrictions, the New Zealand team have furthermore