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Pursuing what would be just a fifth 'Grand Slam' in their storied history, the All Blacks have headed north at an pivotal moment.

Games against the Irish team, Scotland, England and Wales await the All Blacks across the next four weekends but, quite aside from the opportunity to join the teams of 1978, 2005, 2008 and 2010 in the history books, the fixtures will be used as a benchmark to assess the improvement of the squad under a manager now two years on from beginning his tenure.

Team Issues

Concerns over a absence of an clear playing identity, enduring debates over team picks and departures from the management team have all fueled the sense that the most recognisable team in the game is presently one in a period of transition.

Most significantly, it is the drop in performances from a previous peak set between the World Cups of the last decade that has prompted some to suggest that we have transitioned away of the era of All Black exceptionalism.

Team Record

Ahead of their journey for the fall series, it was confirmed that during the following season, in the absence of the southern hemisphere competition, the All Blacks will face South Africa in a off-season matches dubbed 'a tour like no other'.

Traditionally the game's two strongest sides, there is clear agreement over who has currently outperformed of what marketers have labeled 'Rugby's Greatest Rivalry'.

Over the past seven years, the Springboks have won a pair of World Cups, three Rugby Championships and a tour against the northern hemisphere selection to be regarded as the team of their generation.

The All Blacks have continued to beat the Irish team when it counts most, defeating Saturday's opponents in the global competition of the past two tournaments. They have, at the same time, lost just a pair of the recent encounters with the English team, have defeated Wales in each game since over sixty years ago and have remained unbeaten by the Scottish team.

Changing Dynamics

But the diminishment of their position as the game's gold standard will continue to rankle.

Although the New Zealand team excelled through the 2010s - securing eighty-seven percent of their Test matches, as well as lifting the World Cup on several instances - the World Cup of the previous competition can now be viewed as when the hierarchical structure changed in the international rugby.

The All Blacks defeated South Africa in their first game of the competition in the host nation, but it was the Boks' who were ultimately triumphant in the final.

Since then, the New Zealand's success rate has dropped to seventy-one percent. South Africa themselves lost ten of their next 26 Test matches but, since the start of 2023, have won at a percentage (83%) to rival even the former Kiwi champions.

Recent Encounters

Throughout the equivalent timeframe, the Springboks have won five of the past fixtures between the sides, featuring triumph in the latest global tournament decider.

While securing their current southern hemisphere crown, the Springboks administered a record 43-10 defeat on the New Zealand team thanks to dominant performance in their home ground, a outcome which has sparked another series of controversy regarding the progress of the side under the coach.

Possibly most troubling for followers of the New Zealand team will be that, alongside their characteristic physicality, the Springboks' achievement has come with an attacking verve more typically linked with their own side.

Playing Philosophy

When the New Zealand team were at the peak of their abilities in previous eras, they were a devastating offensive machine able of shredding opponents from any part of the field and at all times of the contest.

Currently, their attacking style is less defined as their leader, who has awarded numerous first caps during his 24 months in command, tries to primarily create the basic core elements of a winning team.

It has previously announced that the backroom staff member responsible for scoring, their offensive coordinator, will leave his role after the autumn tour, becoming the additional person of the coaching staff to depart after Leon MacDonald walked away last year after just five Tests.

Performance Gap

It was not merely previous achievements, but his methodology, that was predicted to translate from previous club when he took over after the global competition but, as yet, both remain a ongoing development.

Organizational Strategy

Following private equity firm Silver Lake invested capital in New Zealand rugby in the past, the following communication discussed the "quest of international expansion" for the brand.

That task has maybe been more difficult by the absence of a global icon. Ardie Savea and the group of family members remain household names in the game, but the distribution of key individuals has never been spread wider. Savea is the only New Zealand player to earn global recognition in the recent years, in contrast to ten awards in multiple seasons between 2005 and '07.

Global Expansion

Instead, efforts have been implemented to transplant the All Blacks into new territories.

The first leg of this northern hemisphere series brings New Zealand not to the Irish capital but Chicago, a return to the stadium where Ireland achieved a historic win in the match in previous seasons.

After the relaxation of health protocols, the All Blacks have also