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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 crucial period.

Matches against Ireland, Scotland, the English squad and the Welsh team await the All Blacks across the upcoming weeks but, beyond the possibility to join the sides of 1978, 2005, 2008 and 2010 in the history books, the fixtures will be used as a measure to evaluate the development of the side under a manager now 24 months into from taking up the reins.

Present Difficulties

Concerns over a lack of an clear playing identity, continuing controversies over player choices and leavings from the backroom staff have all contributed to the feeling that the best-known side in the sport is presently one in a period of transition.

Most pertinently, it is the decline in outcomes from a historic high watermark set between the global tournaments of the last decade that has prompted some to suggest that we have evolved beyond of the age of New Zealand dominance.

Recent History

Prior to their travel for the fall series, it was announced that in the coming year, in the non-existence of the Rugby Championship, New Zealand will meet South Africa in a warm-weather tour dubbed 'a tour like no other'.

Historically the game's two strongest sides, there is clear agreement over who has recently got the better of what marketers have labeled 'The Premier Rivalry'.

In recent seasons, the South African team have won a couple of World Cups, three Rugby Championships and a competition against the northern hemisphere selection to be regarded as the team of their era.

The All Blacks have persisted to defeat the Irish team when it matters most, overcoming Saturday's opponents in the global competition of recent years. They have, additionally, lost just a pair of the last fixtures with England, have defeated Wales in each game since 1963 and have never suffered defeat by the Scottish team.

Evolving Landscape

But the diminishment of their status as the game's gold standard will persist as an irritation.

While the New Zealand team excelled through the previous decade - winning eighty-seven percent of their international games, as well as claiming the Webb Ellis on several instances - the global tournament of the previous competition can now be seen as when the competitive landscape changed in the global game.

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

From that point, the All Blacks' success rate has dropped to 71%. South Africa themselves were defeated in ten of their next 26 Test matches but, since the start of last year, have won at a percentage (83%) to match even the former Kiwi champions.

Direct Competition

During the same period, the South African team have won five of the recent encounters between the sides, including triumph in the 2023 World Cup final.

In claiming their current regional title, Rassie Erasmus' side administered a historic loss on the New Zealand team courtesy of dominant performance in their home ground, a result which has sparked another wave of discussion concerning the direction of the team under their leader.

Maybe most troubling for supporters of the New Zealand team will be that, alongside their characteristic physicality, the Springboks' success has come with an creative approach more usually associated with their traditional rivals.

Team Identity

When the New Zealand team were at the height of their abilities 10 years ago, they were a clinical transition team able of destroying rivals from every section of the playing surface and at any moment of the game.

Today, their offensive approach is less defined as Robertson, who has awarded 19 debuts during his two years in command, tries to first establish the fundamental core elements of a successful side.

It has recently revealed that the assistant coach in charge of scoring, the current coach, will leave his role after the fall series, becoming the second member of the coaching staff to leave after previous staff member walked away last year after just a handful of games.

Performance Gap

It was not just his winning record, but his methodology, that was expected to translate from his former team when he assumed control after the 2023 World Cup but, as yet, each continue to be a work in progress.

Business Factors

Following financial organization investors acquired shares in All Blacks in 2022, the subsequent announcement discussed the "quest of international expansion" for the team.

That goal has perhaps been more challenging by the lack of a international celebrity. Their key player and the group of related players continue to be well-known figures in the sport, but the distribution of key individuals has expanded significantly. Savea is the single New Zealand player to earn international honors in the past six seasons, in opposition to 10 in multiple seasons between previous generations.

Worldwide Reach

Rather, attempts have been made to introduce the All Blacks into new territories.

The initial stage of this northern hemisphere series brings New Zealand not to Dublin but Chicago, a revisit to the location where Ireland obtained a first ever victory in the contest nine years ago.

After the reduction of pandemic limitations, the All Blacks have also