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

Matches against the Irish team, the Scottish side, England and the Welsh team await Scott Robertson's side across the coming month but, in addition to the chance to equal the teams of previous successful tours in the history books, the games will be used as a yardstick to measure the development of the side under a head coach now 24 months into from beginning his tenure.

Present Difficulties

Questions over a lack of an identifiable style, continuing controversies over team picks and exits from the coaching ticket have all fueled the perception that the most recognisable team in the sport is currently one in a state of flux.

Most significantly, it is the dip in results from a historic high watermark set between the global tournaments of the last decade that has caused some to suggest that we have evolved beyond of the era of Kiwi superiority.

Team Record

Ahead of their travel for the fall series, it was confirmed that next year, in the absence of the southern hemisphere competition, New Zealand will play the Springboks in a summer series termed 'a unique competition'.

Traditionally the game's two strongest sides, there is no question over who has currently outperformed of what promoters have described 'The Ultimate Contest'.

In recent seasons, the Springboks have secured a couple of global tournaments, three southern hemisphere titles and a competition against the British and Irish Lions to be regarded as the squad of their generation.

The All Blacks have continued to defeat the Irish team when it counts most, overcoming their next challengers in the global competition of the past two tournaments. They have, meanwhile, lost just a pair of the last fixtures with the English team, have beaten Wales in each game since 1963 and have remained unbeaten by the Scottish team.

Evolving Landscape

But the diminishment of their status as the sport's measure of excellence will persist as an irritation.

Whereas the All Blacks excelled through the last ten years - securing 87% of their Test matches, as well as claiming the World Cup on two occasions - the global tournament of 2019 can now be seen as when the balance of power shifted in the global game.

The All Blacks beat South Africa in their first game of the tournament in the host nation, but it was the South Africans who were eventually successful in the final.

Since then, the All Blacks' success rate has dropped to 71%. The Springboks themselves were defeated in ten of their following games but, since the start of last year, have achieved victory at a rate (83%) to compete with even the former Kiwi champions.

Recent Encounters

Throughout the same period, the 'Boks have secured victory in five of the past fixtures between the teams, comprising victory in the latest global tournament decider.

In claiming their most recent continental championship, South Africa inflicted a record 43-10 defeat on the New Zealand team thanks to dominant performance in Wellington, a score which has ignited another series of controversy about the development of the side under their leader.

Maybe most jarring for supporters of the All Blacks will be that, combined with their characteristic physicality, the Springboks' triumph has come with an creative approach more usually associated with their traditional rivals.

Team Identity

During the period when the New Zealand team were at the peak of their abilities in previous eras, they were a devastating offensive machine capable of shredding opponents from every section of the field and at any point of the match.

Now, their playing philosophy is more ambiguous as Robertson, who has given multiple new players during his recent tenure in charge, tries to initially build the basic building blocks of a successful side.

It has previously announced that the backroom staff member overseeing attack, Jason Holland, will exit the team after the fall series, becoming the next individual of Robertson's ticket to exit after Leon MacDonald left last year after just a handful of games.

Expectations vs Reality

It was not merely Robertson's success, but his methodology, that was predicted to carry over from previous club when he began his tenure after the 2023 World Cup but, so far, each remain a continuous improvement.

Business Factors

When private equity firm Silver Lake bought a stake in All Blacks in 2022, the subsequent announcement discussed the "search of new global opportunities" for the organization.

That goal has maybe been more challenging by the lack of a international celebrity. Ardie Savea and the group of related players remain recognizable personalities in the sport, but the spread of stars has become more diverse. Savea is the only All Black to earn global recognition in the past six seasons, in contrast to ten awards in multiple seasons between the mid-2000s.

International Growth

Instead, attempts have been undertaken to introduce the New Zealand team into new territories.

The opening phase of this European campaign brings New Zealand not to Dublin but Chicago, a return to the location where Ireland achieved a first ever victory in the fixture in previous seasons.

After the relaxation of health protocols, the New Zealand team have furthermore