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Pursuing what would be just a fifth northern hemisphere clean sweep in their storied history, the New Zealand side have headed north at an crucial period.

Fixtures against the Irish team, the Scottish side, the English squad and Wales await the New Zealand team across the coming month but, quite aside from the opportunity to match the sides of 1978, 2005, 2008 and 2010 in the history books, the fixtures will be used as a yardstick to evaluate the progress of the team under a leader now well established from assuming control.

Current Challenges

Doubts over a absence of an distinctive approach, enduring debates over selection and leavings from the management team have all added to the sense that the best-known side in the game is now one in a period of transition.

Most significantly, it is the drop in results from a previous peak set between the global tournaments of 2011 and 2019 that has caused some to suggest that we have moved out of the period of New Zealand dominance.

Past Performance

Before their travel for the European tour, it was announced that during the following season, in the non-existence of the southern hemisphere competition, New Zealand will meet the Springboks in a summer series dubbed 'a unique competition'.

Historically the game's two strongest sides, there is no question over who has currently outperformed of what marketers have labeled 'Rugby's Greatest Rivalry'.

Over the past seven years, the South African team have secured a couple of World Cups, three southern hemisphere titles and a series against the home nations team to be regarded as the side of their era.

The All Blacks have maintained to beat Ireland when it counts most, beating their next challengers in the World Cup quarter finals of 2019 and '23. They have, at the same time, lost just a pair of the recent encounters with the English team, have beaten Wales in all matches since the sixties and have never suffered defeat by Scotland.

Evolving Landscape

But the decline of their status as the sport's measure of excellence will continue to rankle.

Although the All Blacks excelled through the 2010s - achieving eighty-seven percent of their Test matches, as well as winning the Webb Ellis on multiple times - the global tournament of 2019 can now be regarded as when the balance of power moved in the international rugby.

New Zealand defeated South Africa in their first game of the championship in Japan, but it was the Boks' who were eventually successful in the championship match.

Since then, the All Blacks' success rate has fallen to seventy-one percent. The Springboks themselves were defeated in 10 of their next 26 Test matches but, from the beginning of last year, have achieved victory at a percentage (eighty-three percent) to rival even the former Kiwi champions.

Direct Competition

Throughout the equivalent timeframe, the South African team have secured victory in the majority of the past fixtures between the teams, including victory in the recent championship match.

During their pursuit of their current southern hemisphere crown, Rassie Erasmus' side administered a significant beating on the New Zealand team through 36 unanswered second-half points in the capital, a result which has sparked another wave of debate concerning the progress of the team under their leader.

Maybe most concerning for supporters of the New Zealand team will be that, alongside their traditional strength, the Springboks' triumph has come with an offensive flair more usually associated with their traditional rivals.

Team Identity

At the time that the New Zealand team were at the peak of their capabilities a decade past, they were a clinical transition team able of destroying competitors from every section of the pitch and at any point of the game.

Now, their offensive approach is more ambiguous as Robertson, who has given numerous first caps during his recent tenure in charge, tries to first establish the basic foundations of a competitive squad.

It has already been confirmed that the backroom staff member overseeing offense, Jason Holland, will depart his position after the autumn tour, making him the second member of Robertson's ticket to exit after Leon MacDonald departed last year after just five Tests.

Team Development

It was not just his winning record, but his approach, that was anticipated to transfer from Crusaders when he assumed control after the global competition but, to date, the two aspects remain a ongoing development.

Organizational Strategy

When investment group the company acquired shares in New Zealand rugby in the past, the ensuing statement discussed the "pursuit of worldwide growth" for the team.

That objective has possibly been harder by the lack of a international celebrity. The current captain and the trio of family members continue to be recognizable personalities in the rugby, but the distribution of stars has never been spread wider. The captain is the only New Zealand player to earn World Player of the Year in the past six seasons, in contrast to 10 in multiple seasons between previous generations.

International Growth

Instead, efforts have been made 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 comeback to the stadium where the Irish team secured a first ever victory in the contest in previous seasons.

After the reduction of pandemic limitations, the All Blacks have additionally