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Aiming for what would be just a fifth northern hemisphere clean sweep in their storied history, the New Zealand side have traveled to Europe at an crucial period.

Fixtures against the Irish team, Scotland, the English squad and the Welsh team await Scott Robertson's side across the upcoming weeks but, quite aside from the possibility to join the squads of 1978, 2005, 2008 and 2010 in the annals of rugby, the games will be used as a benchmark to evaluate the improvement of the side under a manager now two years on from assuming control.

Team Issues

Concerns over a lack of an clear playing identity, enduring debates over selection and leavings from the management team have all added to the feeling that the most recognisable team in the rugby is now one in a state of flux.

Most significantly, it is the decline in performances from a historic high watermark set between the World Cups of the last decade that has caused some to suggest that we have transitioned away of the age of Kiwi superiority.

Recent History

Prior to their travel for the European tour, it was confirmed that during the following season, in the non-existence of the southern hemisphere competition, New Zealand will meet the Springboks in a warm-weather tour called 'an unprecedented series'.

Traditionally the game's two strongest sides, there is no question over who has recently got the better of what promoters have described 'The Ultimate Contest'.

Over the past seven years, the Springboks have claimed a pair of global tournaments, three southern hemisphere titles and a tour against the northern hemisphere selection to be viewed as the team of their era.

New Zealand have continued to defeat Ireland when it matters most, beating Saturday's opponents in the tournament knockout stages of the past two tournaments. They have, meanwhile, been defeated in just a couple of the past 21 meetings with the English team, have beaten Wales in every encounter since the sixties and have remained unbeaten by Scotland.

Evolving Landscape

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

While the New Zealand team dominated through the previous decade - securing 87% of their fixtures, as well as winning the global trophy on multiple times - the global tournament of the previous competition can now be seen as when the balance of power moved in the global game.

The All Blacks overcame the Springboks in their initial fixture of the championship in Japan, but it was the Boks' who were eventually successful in Yokohama.

From that point, the All Blacks' winning percentage has fallen to 71%. The Springboks themselves were defeated in ten of their next 26 Test matches but, commencing of last year, have won at a percentage (eighty-three percent) to compete with even the previous All Blacks side.

Direct Competition

Throughout the equivalent timeframe, the Springboks have won the majority of the past fixtures between the opponents, including success in the recent championship match.

In claiming their current continental championship, Rassie Erasmus' side administered a significant beating on the All Blacks through overwhelming display in the capital, a result which has sparked another wave of controversy about the development of the team under their leader.

Perhaps most jarring for supporters of the All Blacks will be that, combined with their characteristic physicality, South Africa's achievement has come with an creative approach more commonly connected with their own side.

Team Identity

During the period when the All Blacks were at the zenith of their abilities in previous eras, they were a ruthless counter-attacking unit equipped of dismantling opponents from all areas of the field and at all times of the contest.

Today, their attacking style is less defined as their leader, who has handed out numerous first caps during his 24 months in control, tries to primarily create the fundamental building blocks of a competitive squad.

It has recently revealed that the backroom staff member responsible for attack, the current coach, will exit the team after the fall series, becoming the additional person of Robertson's ticket to depart after previous staff member left last year after just limited matches.

Performance Gap

It was not merely previous achievements, but his approach, that was predicted to translate from Crusaders when he began his tenure after the 2023 World Cup but, as yet, both continue to be a work in progress.

Business Factors

When investment group the company acquired shares in New Zealand rugby in 2022, the subsequent announcement discussed the "pursuit of new global opportunities" for the team.

That goal has maybe been harder by the absence of a international celebrity. Their key player and the trio of related players are still household names in the sport, but the distribution of key individuals has never been spread wider. Their leader is the only New Zealand player to win international honors in the past six seasons, in contrast to ten awards in multiple seasons between previous generations.

Global Expansion

Rather, attempts have been undertaken to transplant the New Zealand team into new territories.

The initial stage of this 'Grand Slam' tour brings the All Blacks not to the Irish capital but the American city, a comeback to the stadium where the Irish team achieved a landmark success in the contest in previous seasons.

Since the relaxation of pandemic limitations, the New Zealand team have also