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Aiming for what would be just a fifth 'Grand Slam' in their legendary past, the New Zealand side have embarked on their tour at an interesting juncture.

Matches against Ireland, Scotland, England and the Welsh team await the New Zealand team across the coming month but, in addition to the possibility to equal the squads of 1978, 2005, 2008 and 2010 in the annals of rugby, the fixtures will be used as a measure to measure the progress of the squad under a manager now well established from assuming control.

Team Issues

Doubts over a absence of an clear playing identity, enduring debates over selection and exits from the backroom staff have all contributed to the sense that the most recognisable team in the game is presently one in a state of flux.

Most significantly, it is the drop in results from a past excellence set between the global tournaments of 2011 and 2019 that has led some to suggest that we have moved out of the era of All Black exceptionalism.

Recent History

Prior to their travel for the fall series, it was revealed that next year, in the non-existence of the southern hemisphere competition, New Zealand will face South Africa in a off-season matches termed 'a tour like no other'.

In the past the game's two strongest sides, there is little doubt over who has recently got the better of what promoters have labeled 'The Premier Rivalry'.

Over the past seven years, the South African team have won a pair of global tournaments, three southern hemisphere titles and a tour against the home nations team to be considered as the team of their generation.

New Zealand have persisted to beat the Irish team when it matters most, beating this weekend's rivals in the World Cup quarter finals of the past two tournaments. They have, meanwhile, been defeated in just two of the recent encounters with England, have overcome Wales in all matches since the sixties and have remained unbeaten by Scotland.

Shifting Balance

But the diminishment of their standing as the sport's measure of excellence will persist as an irritation.

While the New Zealand team excelled through the last ten years - winning eighty-seven percent of their Test matches, as well as lifting the Webb Ellis on two occasions - the global tournament of 2019 can now be viewed as when the competitive landscape changed in the world sport.

The All Blacks beat the Springboks in their initial fixture of the competition in the host nation, but it was the South Africans who were ultimately triumphant in the championship match.

Since then, the All Blacks' success rate has declined to seventy-one percent. South Africa themselves were defeated in ten of their subsequent fixtures but, from the beginning of last year, have achieved victory at a percentage (eighty-three percent) to match even the previous All Blacks side.

Direct Competition

Over the comparable duration, the 'Boks have secured victory in the majority of the seven meetings between the opponents, comprising success in the latest global tournament decider.

During their pursuit of their most recent southern hemisphere crown, South Africa administered a significant beating on the All Blacks thanks to 36 unanswered second-half points in the capital, a result which has ignited another round of controversy about the direction of the team under the coach.

Possibly most troubling for followers of the New Zealand team will be that, alongside their characteristic physicality, South Africa's achievement has come with an creative approach more usually associated with their opposition team.

Style Evolution

When the New Zealand team were at the peak of their capabilities 10 years ago, they were a ruthless counter-attacking unit equipped of destroying rivals from every section of the playing surface and at any point of the contest.

Today, their offensive approach is unclear as the coach, who has handed out 19 debuts during his two years in charge, tries to initially build the more prosaic core elements of a successful side.

It has previously announced that the assistant coach responsible for attack, Jason Holland, will exit the team after the upcoming matches, becoming the next individual of the coaching staff to depart after previous staff member walked away last year after just a handful of games.

Team Development

It was not merely Robertson's success, but his approach, that was anticipated to translate from his former team when he assumed control after the 2023 World Cup but, as yet, the two aspects continue to be a ongoing development.

Organizational Strategy

Following investment group Silver Lake acquired shares in All Blacks in the past, the following communication spoke of the "search of worldwide growth" for the brand.

That task has maybe been more challenging by the absence of a international celebrity. Ardie Savea and the group of family members continue to be well-known figures in the game, but the distribution of stars has become more diverse. Their leader is the only All Black to earn international honors in the past six seasons, in comparison to 10 in 13 years between previous generations.

International Growth

Alternatively, attempts have been implemented to introduce the New Zealand team into previously untapped markets.

The first leg of this 'Grand Slam' tour brings New Zealand not to the Irish capital but Chicago, a return to the Soldier Field venue where the Irish team secured a landmark success in the contest in previous seasons.

After the easing of health protocols, the New Zealand team have additionally