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Aiming for what would be just a fifth northern hemisphere clean sweep in their legendary past, the New Zealand side have traveled to Europe at an crucial period.

Matches against Ireland, Scotland, England and the Welsh team await the New Zealand team across the next four weekends but, quite aside from the chance to join the teams of 1978, 2005, 2008 and 2010 in the history books, the games will be used as a yardstick to evaluate the progress of the squad under a head coach now two years on from beginning his tenure.

Present Difficulties

Concerns over a lack of an distinctive approach, ongoing discussions over team picks and leavings from the coaching ticket have all added to the sense that the most famous squad in the game is currently one in a period of transition.

Most importantly, it is the decline in results from a previous peak set between the global tournaments of 2011 and 2019 that has prompted some to suggest that we have transitioned away of the period of Kiwi superiority.

Recent History

Prior to their journey for the fall series, it was revealed that during the following season, in the lack of the southern hemisphere competition, New Zealand will face the Springboks in a warm-weather tour termed 'a tour like no other'.

Historically the game's two strongest sides, there is little doubt over who has lately dominated of what promoters have called 'The Ultimate Contest'.

Over the past seven years, the Springboks have secured a couple of global tournaments, three southern hemisphere titles and a competition against the British and Irish Lions to be viewed as the squad of their era.

New Zealand have continued to beat the Irish team when it matters most, overcoming this weekend's rivals in the World Cup quarter finals of the past two tournaments. They have, at the same time, lost just two of the recent encounters with the English team, have defeated the Welsh side in every encounter since the sixties and have remained unbeaten by Scotland.

Shifting Balance

But the diminishment of their status as the rugby's benchmark will remain frustrating.

Whereas the New Zealand team excelled through the last ten years - achieving 87% of their international games, as well as lifting the global trophy on two occasions - the global tournament of the previous competition can now be regarded as when the balance of power moved in the world sport.

The All Blacks overcame South Africa in their opening match of the tournament in Japan, but it was the Boks' who were finally victorious in the championship match.

From that point, the New Zealand's success rate has declined to 71%. South Africa themselves were defeated in ten of their following games but, commencing of 2023, have won at a frequency (83%) to compete with even the previous All Blacks side.

Direct Competition

Throughout the comparable duration, the South African team have won the majority of the past fixtures between the sides, including triumph in the latest global tournament decider.

In claiming their current southern hemisphere crown, South Africa inflicted a significant beating on the All Blacks thanks to dominant performance in the capital, a outcome which has triggered another wave of discussion concerning the direction of the team under their leader.

Perhaps most troubling for followers of the All Blacks will be that, combined with their characteristic physicality, the Springboks' success has come with an creative approach more commonly connected with their opposition team.

Style Evolution

When the All Blacks were at the peak of their powers 10 years ago, they were a devastating offensive machine able of destroying competitors from all areas of the field and at any point of the game.

Currently, their offensive approach is more ambiguous as the coach, who has handed out numerous first caps during his two years in command, tries to first establish the more prosaic core elements of a competitive squad.

It has recently revealed that the backroom staff member responsible for attack, the current coach, will exit the team after the upcoming matches, making him the additional person of Robertson's ticket to depart after Leon MacDonald walked away last year after just five Tests.

Team Development

It was not just his winning record, but his approach, that was expected to translate from Crusaders when he took over after the recent tournament but, so far, the two aspects continue to be a work in progress.

Organizational Strategy

When private equity firm investors bought a stake in All Blacks in the past, the ensuing statement mentioned the "pursuit of new global opportunities" for the team.

That objective has possibly been more difficult by the absence of a international celebrity. Ardie Savea and the group of family members remain household names in the sport, but the spread of talented players has expanded significantly. Their leader is the only All Black to receive global recognition in the recent years, in contrast to ten awards in multiple seasons between previous generations.

Global Expansion

Instead, efforts have been undertaken to establish the New Zealand team into new territories.

The first leg of this 'Grand Slam' tour brings the All Blacks not to the Irish capital but Chicago, a revisit to the location where the Irish team secured a landmark success in the contest nine years ago.

Since the relaxation of Covid-19 travel restrictions, the New Zealand team have also