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Aiming for what would be just a fifth northern hemisphere clean sweep in their illustrious legacy, the New Zealand side have embarked on their tour at an interesting juncture.

Games against Ireland, the Scottish side, the English squad and the Welsh team await the New Zealand team across the coming month but, in addition to the opportunity to join the sides of 1978, 2005, 2008 and 2010 in the annals of rugby, the games will be used as a yardstick to measure the improvement of the squad under a head coach now two years on from assuming control.

Team Issues

Concerns over a shortage of an clear playing identity, ongoing discussions over team picks and leavings from the coaching ticket have all contributed to the feeling that the most recognisable team in the sport is now one in a state of flux.

Most pertinently, it is the decline in outcomes from a past excellence set between the global tournaments of 2011 and 2019 that has prompted some to theorize that we have moved out of the age of New Zealand dominance.

Team Record

Ahead of their travel for the European tour, it was confirmed that during the following season, in the lack of the southern hemisphere competition, the All Blacks will meet South Africa in a summer series termed 'a tour like no other'.

Traditionally the sport's top competitors, there is little doubt over who has currently outperformed of what organizers have labeled 'Rugby's Greatest Rivalry'.

In recent seasons, the Springboks have won a two of World Cups, three Rugby Championships and a tour against the British and Irish Lions to be viewed as the side of their period.

The All Blacks have continued to overcome the Irish team when it matters most, overcoming this weekend's rivals in the global competition of recent years. They have, at the same time, lost just two of the recent encounters with England, have overcome the Welsh side in every encounter since the sixties and have always been victorious by the Scottish team.

Changing Dynamics

But the decline of their standing as the rugby's benchmark will persist as an irritation.

Whereas the New Zealand team dominated through the 2010s - securing 87% of their international games, as well as winning the global trophy on two occasions - the global tournament of 2019 can now be regarded as when the balance of power moved in the global game.

New Zealand beat the Springboks in their opening match of the tournament in the host nation, but it was the Boks' who were ultimately triumphant in Yokohama.

From that point, the New Zealand's success rate has dropped to seventy-one percent. South Africa themselves lost ten of their following games but, from the beginning of last year, have achieved victory at a rate (83%) to match even the previous All Blacks side.

Recent Encounters

During the comparable duration, the South African team have won five of the seven meetings between the opponents, featuring success in the 2023 World Cup final.

During their pursuit of their most recent continental championship, the Springboks delivered a historic loss on the New Zealand team thanks to 36 unanswered second-half points in Wellington, a result which has ignited another wave of controversy concerning the direction of the team under their leader.

Possibly most troubling for fans of the All Blacks will be that, alongside their traditional strength, South Africa's success has come with an attacking verve more typically linked with their traditional rivals.

Playing Philosophy

At the time that the All Blacks were at the height of their capabilities in previous eras, they were a clinical transition team capable of destroying competitors from every section of the pitch and at all times of the contest.

Currently, their playing philosophy is less defined as the coach, who has given numerous first caps during his recent tenure in command, tries to primarily create the fundamental building blocks of a winning team.

It has previously announced that the supporting manager in charge of offense, the current coach, will exit the team after the fall series, making him the next individual of the coaching staff to exit after previous staff member departed last year after just a handful of games.

Expectations vs Reality

It was not merely his winning record, but his style, that was anticipated to translate from Crusaders when he took over after the global competition but, as yet, each continue to be a ongoing development.

Business Factors

When private equity firm Silver Lake bought a stake in All Blacks in the past, the following communication spoke of the "pursuit of worldwide growth" for the team.

That goal has maybe been more challenging by the absence of a global icon. The current captain and the collection of family members continue to be recognizable personalities in the rugby, but the concentration of key individuals has become more diverse. The captain is the sole New Zealand player to receive World Player of the Year in the past six seasons, in contrast to 10 in over a decade between previous generations.

Global Expansion

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

The opening phase of this 'Grand Slam' tour brings New Zealand not to Dublin but the American city, a revisit to the stadium where Ireland achieved a landmark success in the fixture in previous seasons.

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