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Pursuing what would be just a fifth 'Grand Slam' in their legendary past, the All Blacks have embarked on their tour at an pivotal moment.

Fixtures against the Irish team, the Scottish side, England and Wales await the All Blacks across the upcoming weeks but, quite aside from the chance to equal the squads of 1978, 2005, 2008 and 2010 in the annals of rugby, the matches will be used as a benchmark to assess the progress of the team under a leader now well established from beginning his tenure.

Team Issues

Doubts over a lack of an distinctive approach, continuing controversies over selection and departures from the management team have all fueled the sense that the most famous squad in the game is now one in a time of change.

Most importantly, it is the drop in performances from a previous peak set between the global tournaments of the last decade that has led some to theorize that we have transitioned away of the age of All Black exceptionalism.

Past Performance

Prior to their journey for the fall series, it was revealed that in the coming year, in the lack of the southern hemisphere competition, New Zealand will face South Africa in a off-season matches called 'an unprecedented series'.

In the past the game's two strongest sides, there is clear agreement over who has recently got the better of what marketers have labeled 'Rugby's Greatest Rivalry'.

In recent seasons, the South African team have secured a pair of World Cups, three Rugby Championships and a series against the northern hemisphere selection to be considered as the squad of their era.

The All Blacks have persisted to defeat the Irish team when it matters most, beating their next challengers in the World Cup quarter finals of recent years. They have, meanwhile, lost just a pair of the last fixtures with the English team, have overcome Wales in all matches since 1963 and have never suffered defeat by the Scottish team.

Evolving Landscape

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

Whereas the All Blacks reigned supreme through the 2010s - achieving 87% of their Test matches, as well as claiming the global trophy on several instances - the World Cup of 2019 can now be regarded as when the hierarchical structure changed in the global game.

The All Blacks defeated South Africa in their opening match of the tournament in the host nation, but it was the Boks' who were finally victorious in Yokohama.

From that point, the New Zealand's 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 (83%) to compete with even the previous All Blacks side.

Head-to-Head

Over the comparable duration, the Springboks have secured victory in the majority of the recent encounters between the sides, including triumph in the recent championship match.

During their pursuit of their most recent continental championship, South Africa inflicted a historic loss on the All Blacks courtesy of 36 unanswered second-half points in their home ground, a result which has ignited another series of debate regarding the development of the side under Robertson.

Possibly most jarring for fans of the All Blacks will be that, allied to their usual power, South Africa's triumph has come with an attacking verve more usually associated with their traditional rivals.

Style Evolution

When the All Blacks were at the peak of their capabilities 10 years ago, they were a clinical transition team equipped of dismantling opponents from any part of the field and at all times of the game.

Currently, their playing philosophy is more ambiguous as their leader, who has given multiple new players during his recent tenure in command, tries to primarily create the more prosaic foundations of a competitive squad.

It has previously announced that the assistant coach responsible for scoring, the current coach, will exit the team after the autumn tour, making him the next individual of management team to depart after Leon MacDonald walked away last year after just five Tests.

Performance Gap

It was not only previous achievements, but his approach, that was expected to transfer from previous club when he assumed control after the recent tournament but, as yet, the two aspects are still a work in progress.

Business Factors

When financial organization the company invested capital in All Blacks in 2022, the following communication mentioned the "quest of international expansion" for the brand.

That goal has perhaps been harder by the lack of a crossover star. The current captain and the trio of related players remain recognizable personalities in the sport, but the concentration of stars has become more diverse. Their leader is the sole All Black to earn global recognition in the current era, in opposition to ten awards in over a decade between 2005 and '07.

International Growth

Instead, initiatives have been undertaken to establish the All Blacks into previously untapped markets.

The first leg of this northern hemisphere series brings New Zealand not to the Irish capital but Chicago, a return to the location where Ireland obtained a first ever victory in the contest in previous seasons.

After the relaxation of pandemic limitations, the All Blacks have also