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Aiming for what would be just a fifth 'Grand Slam' in their illustrious legacy, the All Blacks have headed north at an interesting juncture.

Fixtures against the Irish team, the Scottish side, the English squad and Wales await the All Blacks across the next four weekends but, beyond the chance to equal the teams of previous successful tours in the record books, the games will be used as a measure to evaluate the progress of the squad under a leader now 24 months into from assuming control.

Present Difficulties

Concerns over a lack of an identifiable style, continuing controversies over player choices and leavings from the backroom staff have all fueled the perception that the most recognisable team in the rugby is currently one in a state of flux.

Most significantly, it is the decline in performances from a historic high watermark set between the global tournaments of the last decade that has prompted some to suggest that we have evolved beyond of the period of Kiwi superiority.

Past Performance

Prior to their departure for the fall series, it was confirmed that during the following season, in the lack of the Rugby Championship, New Zealand will meet South Africa in a summer series dubbed 'a unique competition'.

Historically the sport's top competitors, there is little doubt over who has lately dominated of what promoters have described 'Rugby's Greatest Rivalry'.

Over the past seven years, the South African team have claimed a pair of World Cups, three southern hemisphere titles and a competition against the British and Irish Lions to be viewed as the squad of their period.

The All Blacks have continued to defeat Ireland when it matters most, overcoming Saturday's opponents in the global competition of the past two tournaments. They have, meanwhile, lost just two of the last fixtures with the English team, have overcome the Welsh side in each game since 1963 and have remained unbeaten by Scotland.

Evolving Landscape

But the decline of their standing as the game's gold standard will persist as an irritation.

Although the All Blacks excelled through the last ten years - securing eighty-seven percent of their fixtures, as well as winning the global trophy on two occasions - the global tournament of 2019 can now be seen as when the balance of power shifted in the international rugby.

The All Blacks overcame South Africa in their first game of the competition in the host nation, but it was the South Africans who were ultimately triumphant in the final.

After that event, the All Blacks' success rate has declined to 71%. The Springboks themselves were defeated in 10 of their following games but, from the beginning of 2023, have achieved victory at a rate (eighty-three percent) to rival even the previous All Blacks side.

Head-to-Head

During the equivalent timeframe, the 'Boks have won the majority of the recent encounters between the sides, comprising triumph in the 2023 World Cup final.

During their pursuit of their current southern hemisphere crown, South Africa delivered a significant beating on the New Zealand team thanks to 36 unanswered second-half points in their home ground, a result which has triggered another round of controversy concerning the development of the squad under Robertson.

Perhaps most jarring for followers of the All Blacks will be that, allied to their characteristic physicality, South Africa's triumph has come with an offensive flair more usually associated with their traditional rivals.

Playing Philosophy

When the New Zealand team were at the peak of their powers in previous eras, they were a ruthless counter-attacking unit able of destroying rivals from any part of the playing surface and at all times of the contest.

Now, their playing philosophy is less defined as their leader, who has handed out 19 debuts during his two years in charge, tries to primarily create the basic core elements of a winning team.

It has already been confirmed that the backroom staff member responsible for offense, their offensive coordinator, will depart his position after the fall series, making him the second member of the coaching staff to leave after another coach departed last year after just a handful of games.

Expectations vs Reality

It was not merely previous achievements, but his style, that was anticipated to transfer from his former team when he began his tenure after the 2023 World Cup but, so far, each continue to be a continuous improvement.

Organizational Strategy

When investment group the company bought a stake in All Blacks in the past, the subsequent announcement spoke of the "quest of new global opportunities" for the organization.

That task has maybe been harder by the absence of a crossover star. The current captain and the group of related players remain household names in the sport, but the spread of talented players has never been spread wider. Savea is the only New Zealand player to win international honors in the current era, in contrast to 10 in 13 years between the mid-2000s.

International Growth

Alternatively, attempts have been made to transplant the All Blacks into emerging regions.

The initial stage of this northern hemisphere series brings the All Blacks not to the Irish capital but Chicago, a comeback to the Soldier Field venue where Ireland achieved a landmark success in the contest in previous seasons.

Following the easing of pandemic limitations, the New Zealand team have also