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Seeking what would be just a fifth 'Grand Slam' in their illustrious legacy, the New Zealand side have headed north at an pivotal moment.

Games against Ireland, Scotland, England and Wales await the New Zealand team across the upcoming weeks but, in addition to the chance to join the squads of 1978, 2005, 2008 and 2010 in the history books, the games will be used as a measure to assess the progress of the team under a manager now well established from taking up the reins.

Present Difficulties

Concerns over a absence of an identifiable style, ongoing discussions over player choices and departures from the backroom staff have all contributed to the sense that the most famous squad in the game is currently one in a state of flux.

Most pertinently, it is the drop in performances from a historic high watermark set between the World Cups of 2011 and 2019 that has led some to suggest that we have evolved beyond of the period of New Zealand dominance.

Team Record

Before their travel for the fall series, it was announced that in the coming year, in the lack of the southern hemisphere competition, the All Blacks will play the Springboks in a warm-weather tour called 'a tour like no other'.

Historically the game's two strongest sides, there is no question over who has recently got the better of what marketers have labeled 'Rugby's Greatest Rivalry'.

Over the past seven years, the South African team have secured a couple of global tournaments, three southern hemisphere titles and a tour against the British and Irish Lions to be viewed as the side of their era.

New Zealand have persisted to beat the Irish team when it is crucial, beating their next challengers in the global competition of 2019 and '23. They have, meanwhile, been defeated in just a couple of the past 21 meetings with the English team, have overcome the Welsh side in every encounter since over sixty years ago and have never suffered defeat by the Scottish team.

Evolving Landscape

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

Although the New Zealand team dominated through the previous decade - winning eighty-seven percent of their Test matches, as well as winning the global trophy on two occasions - the World Cup of 2019 can now be regarded as when the competitive landscape moved in the international rugby.

The All Blacks defeated the Springboks in their opening match of the competition in Japan, but it was the Boks' who were finally victorious in the final.

After that event, the All Blacks' victory ratio has dropped to seventy-one percent. South Africa themselves lost 10 of their subsequent fixtures but, commencing of last year, have achieved victory at a rate (eighty-three percent) to match even the previous All Blacks side.

Recent Encounters

Throughout the comparable duration, the Springboks have secured victory in the majority of the seven meetings between the sides, comprising triumph in the 2023 World Cup final.

During their pursuit of their most recent continental championship, South Africa administered a significant beating on the New Zealand team thanks to 36 unanswered second-half points in Wellington, a score which has triggered another round of controversy concerning the direction of the squad under their leader.

Perhaps most troubling for fans of the All Blacks will be that, alongside their traditional strength, the Springboks' success has come with an attacking verve more commonly connected with their traditional rivals.

Playing Philosophy

At the time that the All Blacks were at the peak of their abilities in previous eras, they were a ruthless counter-attacking unit equipped of dismantling opponents from all areas of the field and at any point of the game.

Currently, their playing philosophy is unclear as their leader, who has awarded numerous first caps during his two years in control, tries to first establish the more prosaic foundations of a winning team.

It has recently revealed that the supporting manager responsible for scoring, Jason Holland, will exit the team after the fall series, becoming the next individual of management team to leave after another coach left last year after just five Tests.

Team Development

It was not just his winning record, but his approach, that was expected to transfer from his former team when he took over after the recent tournament but, as yet, both continue to be a work in progress.

Business Factors

After private equity firm investors acquired shares in All Blacks in the past, the following communication spoke of the "pursuit of worldwide growth" for the team.

That objective has maybe been harder by the shortage of a international celebrity. Their key player and the collection of Barrett brothers are still household names in the rugby, but the distribution of stars has never been spread wider. Their leader is the sole All Black to earn international honors in the current era, in comparison to 10 in 13 years between previous generations.

International Growth

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

The opening phase of this European campaign brings the All Blacks not to the Irish capital but the American city, a comeback to the Soldier Field venue where the Irish team secured a landmark success in the contest nine years ago.

After the relaxation of pandemic limitations, the New Zealand team have furthermore