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

Fixtures against the Irish team, Scotland, England and Wales await Scott Robertson's side across the next four weekends but, beyond the possibility to join the sides of 1978, 2005, 2008 and 2010 in the annals of rugby, the matches will be used as a benchmark to assess the development of the squad under a manager now two years on from taking up the reins.

Current Challenges

Questions over a lack of an clear playing identity, ongoing discussions over selection and exits from the management team have all fueled the feeling that the best-known side in the sport is presently one in a time of change.

Most significantly, it is the drop in performances from a previous peak set between the World Cups of the last decade that has led some to theorize that we have moved out of the era of All Black exceptionalism.

Past Performance

Prior to their departure for the northern hemisphere, it was confirmed that next year, in the absence of the southern hemisphere competition, the All Blacks will face the Springboks in a warm-weather tour dubbed 'an unprecedented series'.

Historically the rugby's premier teams, there is little doubt over who has recently got the better of what marketers have labeled 'The Premier Rivalry'.

During the last decade, the South African team have won a pair of global tournaments, three Rugby Championships and a tour against the northern hemisphere selection to be considered as the squad of their generation.

New Zealand have maintained to defeat Ireland when it matters most, defeating Saturday's opponents in the tournament knockout stages of 2019 and '23. They have, additionally, lost just a pair of the last fixtures with the English team, have defeated Wales in each game since 1963 and have always been victorious by the Scottish team.

Changing Dynamics

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

While the All Blacks excelled through the last ten years - securing eighty-seven percent of their international games, as well as claiming the World Cup on several instances - the World Cup of the previous competition can now be viewed as when the balance of power changed in the world sport.

New Zealand beat South Africa in their initial fixture of the competition in the host nation, but it was the South Africans who were eventually successful in Yokohama.

From that point, the New Zealand's success rate has declined to seventy-one percent. The Springboks themselves were defeated in 10 of their subsequent fixtures but, from the beginning of 2023, have achieved victory at a frequency (eighty-three percent) to match even the last great New Zealand team.

Recent Encounters

Throughout the same period, the Springboks have won five of the past fixtures between the sides, featuring triumph in the latest global tournament decider.

In claiming their latest southern hemisphere crown, South Africa inflicted a significant beating on the All Blacks courtesy of 36 unanswered second-half points in Wellington, a result which has sparked another round of controversy regarding the direction of the squad under the coach.

Maybe most jarring for supporters of the All Blacks will be that, combined with their characteristic physicality, South Africa's success has come with an creative approach more usually associated with their traditional rivals.

Team Identity

During the period when the New Zealand team were at the zenith of their powers 10 years ago, they were a ruthless counter-attacking unit capable of dismantling rivals from any part of the pitch and at any point of the match.

Now, their offensive approach is more ambiguous as the coach, who has awarded 19 debuts during his recent tenure in command, tries to primarily create the basic building blocks of a successful side.

It has recently revealed that the backroom staff member responsible for attack, the current coach, will leave his role after the upcoming matches, becoming the additional person of the coaching staff to depart after Leon MacDonald departed last year after just five Tests.

Expectations vs Reality

It was not just his winning record, but his approach, that was predicted to carry over from previous club when he began his tenure after the recent tournament but, to date, each are still a work in progress.

Business Factors

Following financial organization Silver Lake acquired shares in New Zealand rugby in the past, the subsequent announcement spoke of the "quest of worldwide growth" for the team.

That objective has maybe been more difficult by the shortage of a international celebrity. Their key player and the trio of related players continue to be well-known figures in the rugby, but the spread of stars has become more diverse. The captain is the single All Black to earn international honors in the recent years, in contrast to ten awards in 13 years between 2005 and '07.

Global Expansion

Instead, efforts have been implemented to introduce the New Zealand team into previously untapped markets.

The initial stage of this European campaign brings the All Blacks not to the Irish capital but Chicago, a revisit to the location where Ireland secured a first ever victory in the match during past tours.

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