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

Matches against the Irish team, the Scottish side, England and the Welsh team await Scott Robertson's side across the coming month but, beyond the possibility to match the squads of previous successful tours in the annals of rugby, the fixtures will be used as a benchmark to measure the improvement of the side under a head coach now 24 months into from taking up the reins.

Current Challenges

Concerns over a absence of an distinctive approach, ongoing discussions over player choices and departures from the management team have all contributed to the sense that the best-known side in the rugby is now one in a time of change.

Most pertinently, it is the drop in results from a historic high watermark set between the global tournaments of the last decade that has caused some to theorize that we have transitioned away of the period of Kiwi superiority.

Past Performance

Ahead of their departure for the fall series, it was confirmed that during the following season, in the absence of the Rugby Championship, New Zealand will face the Springboks in a off-season matches called 'an unprecedented series'.

Traditionally the sport's top competitors, there is no question over who has lately dominated of what organizers have called 'The Premier Rivalry'.

Over the past seven years, the South African team have won a couple of World Cups, three Rugby Championships and a series against the northern hemisphere selection to be regarded as the squad of their era.

The All Blacks have maintained to beat Ireland when it matters most, beating Saturday's opponents in the World Cup quarter finals of 2019 and '23. They have, additionally, been defeated in just a couple of the last fixtures with England, have beaten the Welsh side in all matches since over sixty years ago and have never suffered defeat by the Scottish team.

Shifting Balance

But the decline of their status as the game's gold standard will continue to rankle.

Although the New Zealand team reigned supreme through the last ten years - achieving 87% of their fixtures, as well as winning the global trophy on two occasions - the global tournament of the previous competition can now be seen as when the balance of power changed in the global game.

The All Blacks beat South Africa in their initial fixture of the competition in the host nation, but it was the South Africans who were finally victorious in the final.

Since then, the New Zealand's winning percentage has dropped to 71%. The Springboks themselves lost 10 of their subsequent fixtures but, from the beginning of 2023, have achieved victory at a rate (83%) to match even the previous All Blacks side.

Recent Encounters

During the equivalent timeframe, the Springboks have secured victory in the majority of the seven meetings between the teams, featuring victory in the 2023 World Cup final.

In claiming their most recent regional title, the Springboks inflicted a historic loss on the New Zealand team through overwhelming display in the capital, a result which has triggered another wave of discussion concerning the direction of the side under the coach.

Maybe most jarring for followers of the All Blacks will be that, combined with their traditional strength, the Springboks' triumph has come with an offensive flair more commonly connected with their own side.

Playing Philosophy

During the period when the All Blacks were at the peak of their powers in previous eras, they were a clinical transition team able of shredding rivals from every section of the pitch and at any point of the game.

Today, their attacking style is less defined as the coach, who has awarded multiple new players during his two years in control, tries to initially build the basic foundations of a successful side.

It has already been confirmed that the assistant coach overseeing attack, their offensive coordinator, will depart his position after the autumn tour, becoming the second member of management team to depart after previous staff member walked away last year after just a handful of games.

Performance Gap

It was not merely previous achievements, but his approach, that was anticipated to translate from his former team when he began his tenure after the 2023 World Cup but, as yet, both are still a ongoing development.

Organizational Strategy

Following financial organization investors acquired shares in New Zealand rugby in the past, the subsequent announcement discussed the "pursuit of worldwide growth" for the brand.

That task has maybe been more difficult by the lack of a global icon. Their key player and the trio of related players continue to be recognizable personalities in the sport, but the distribution of stars has never been spread wider. Savea is the single New Zealand player to win global recognition in the current era, in contrast to 10 in over a decade between 2005 and '07.

Global Expansion

Alternatively, attempts have been implemented to transplant the New Zealand team into emerging regions.

The initial stage of this 'Grand Slam' tour brings New Zealand not to Dublin but Chicago, a comeback to the Soldier Field venue where Ireland obtained a landmark success in the contest during past tours.

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