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Aiming for what would be just a fifth tour victory in their storied history, the New Zealand side have headed north at an pivotal moment.

Matches against Ireland, Scotland, the English squad and the Welsh team await Scott Robertson's side across the coming month but, beyond the possibility to match the teams of previous successful tours in the annals of rugby, the games will be used as a measure to evaluate the improvement of the side under a manager now two years on from taking up the reins.

Current Challenges

Doubts over a shortage of an identifiable style, ongoing discussions over team picks and departures from the backroom staff have all fueled the perception that the most famous squad in the rugby is now one in a time of change.

Most pertinently, it is the drop in performances from a past excellence set between the global tournaments of the last decade that has led some to speculate that we have transitioned away of the age of Kiwi superiority.

Team Record

Ahead of their departure for the fall series, it was confirmed that in the coming year, in the lack of the Rugby Championship, New Zealand will play the Springboks in a summer series called 'a tour like no other'.

Traditionally the game's two strongest sides, there is clear agreement over who has lately dominated of what organizers have called 'Rugby's Greatest Rivalry'.

During the last decade, the South African team have won a pair of World Cups, three Rugby Championships and a tour against the northern hemisphere selection to be viewed as the side of their period.

New Zealand have continued to beat the Irish team when it is crucial, beating Saturday's opponents in the World Cup quarter finals of the past two tournaments. They have, meanwhile, lost just two of the recent encounters with the English team, have defeated Wales in all matches since the sixties and have always been victorious by Scotland.

Evolving Landscape

But the loss of their standing as the sport's measure of excellence will continue to rankle.

Although the New Zealand team reigned supreme through the 2010s - achieving eighty-seven percent of their international games, as well as winning the Webb Ellis on several instances - the World Cup of the previous competition can now be regarded as when the competitive landscape shifted in the world sport.

The All Blacks defeated the Springboks in their first game of the tournament in the host nation, but it was the Boks' who were finally victorious in the final.

From that point, the New Zealand's success rate has dropped to 71%. The Springboks themselves lost 10 of their following games but, commencing of last year, have achieved victory at a percentage (83%) to rival even the previous All Blacks side.

Head-to-Head

Throughout the comparable duration, the 'Boks have won the majority of the past fixtures between the opponents, including triumph in the 2023 World Cup final.

While securing their latest regional title, the Springboks administered a historic loss on the All Blacks courtesy of overwhelming display in the capital, a score which has ignited another wave of controversy about the direction of the squad under their leader.

Maybe most jarring for fans of the New Zealand team will be that, combined with their usual power, South Africa's triumph has come with an attacking verve more usually associated with their traditional rivals.

Playing Philosophy

At the time that the New Zealand team were at the height of their capabilities in previous eras, they were a devastating offensive machine capable of dismantling opponents from every section of the pitch and at any point of the contest.

Currently, their offensive approach is less defined as Robertson, who has awarded multiple new players during his recent tenure in charge, tries to first establish the basic building blocks of a winning team.

It has recently revealed that the supporting manager in charge of attack, their offensive coordinator, will leave his role after the autumn tour, becoming the next individual of management team to exit after another coach walked away last year after just a handful of games.

Team Development

It was not merely Robertson's success, but his methodology, that was predicted to transfer from his former team when he began his tenure after the recent tournament but, to date, both remain a work in progress.

Organizational Strategy

After private equity firm the company acquired shares in New Zealand rugby in recent years, the following communication discussed the "pursuit of international expansion" for the brand.

That objective has perhaps been harder by the shortage of a global icon. The current captain and the collection of Barrett brothers remain household names in the rugby, but the concentration of stars has expanded significantly. The captain is the single New Zealand player to earn global recognition in the current era, in contrast to 10 in 13 years between the mid-2000s.

Worldwide Reach

Rather, efforts have been made to transplant the All Blacks into new territories.

The first leg of this northern hemisphere series brings the All Blacks not to the Irish capital but the American city, a revisit to the Soldier Field venue where the Irish team achieved a first ever victory in the contest nine years ago.

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