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Aiming for what would be just a fifth tour victory in their legendary past, the All Blacks have embarked on their tour at an interesting juncture.

Matches against the Irish team, Scotland, the English squad and Wales await the All Blacks across the upcoming weeks but, beyond the chance to join the teams of 1978, 2005, 2008 and 2010 in the annals of rugby, the matches will be used as a yardstick to assess the development of the side under a leader now 24 months into from taking up the reins.

Present Difficulties

Concerns over a absence of an distinctive approach, ongoing discussions over player choices and leavings from the management team have all added to the feeling that the most recognisable team in the sport is currently one in a time of change.

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

Team Record

Prior to their departure for the European tour, it was confirmed that during the following season, in the lack of the southern hemisphere competition, New Zealand will meet South Africa in a warm-weather tour dubbed 'a unique competition'.

Historically 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 couple of World Cups, three southern hemisphere titles and a series against the northern hemisphere selection to be regarded as the team of their era.

New Zealand have maintained to overcome Ireland when it matters most, overcoming Saturday's opponents in the World Cup quarter finals of 2019 and '23. They have, meanwhile, been defeated in just a couple of the past 21 meetings with the English team, have defeated the Welsh side in every encounter since 1963 and have always been victorious by the Scottish team.

Changing Dynamics

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

While the All Blacks excelled through the previous decade - securing 87% of their fixtures, as well as claiming the global trophy on two occasions - the World Cup of 2019 can now be regarded as when the balance of power moved in the world sport.

The All Blacks defeated the Springboks in their initial fixture of the championship in the host nation, but it was the Boks' who were finally victorious in Yokohama.

After that event, the All Blacks' success rate has declined to 71%. South Africa themselves lost 10 of their next 26 Test matches but, from the beginning of 2023, have achieved victory at a percentage (eighty-three percent) to rival even the previous All Blacks side.

Direct Competition

Throughout the same period, the 'Boks have secured victory in five of the past fixtures between the opponents, featuring victory in the latest global tournament decider.

While securing their latest regional title, South Africa administered a historic loss on the New Zealand team through overwhelming display in the capital, a result which has triggered another wave of debate regarding the progress of the team under Robertson.

Possibly most troubling for supporters of the New Zealand team will be that, allied to their traditional strength, 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 a decade past, they were a devastating offensive machine capable of shredding rivals from all areas of the playing surface and at any point of the game.

Now, their playing philosophy is unclear as their leader, who has given numerous first caps during his 24 months in command, tries to first establish the more prosaic foundations of a competitive squad.

It has already been confirmed that the assistant coach responsible for attack, their offensive coordinator, will depart his position after the upcoming matches, making him the next individual of the coaching staff to exit after Leon MacDonald departed last year after just five Tests.

Team Development

It was not merely previous achievements, but his methodology, that was predicted to transfer from his former team when he assumed control after the global competition but, as yet, the two aspects remain a continuous improvement.

Organizational Strategy

After private equity firm Silver Lake invested capital in All Blacks in the past, the subsequent announcement spoke of the "search of new global opportunities" for the team.

That task has perhaps been more difficult by the lack of a international celebrity. Ardie Savea and the group of Barrett brothers continue to be recognizable personalities in the rugby, but the distribution of key individuals has never been spread wider. Savea is the sole New Zealand player to receive World Player of the Year in the recent years, in opposition to 10 in multiple seasons between the mid-2000s.

Global Expansion

Alternatively, efforts have been made to establish the New Zealand team into previously untapped markets.

The first leg of this northern hemisphere series brings the All Blacks not to the Irish capital but the American city, a comeback to the location where the Irish team achieved a historic win in the fixture nine years ago.

Following the reduction of health protocols, the New Zealand team have additionally