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Aiming for what would be just a fifth northern hemisphere clean sweep in their storied history, the All Blacks have headed north at an interesting juncture.

Games against the Irish team, the Scottish side, the English squad and the Welsh team await the New Zealand team across the upcoming weeks but, in addition to the possibility to match the teams of 1978, 2005, 2008 and 2010 in the history books, the games will be used as a measure to evaluate the improvement of the team under a leader now 24 months into from assuming control.

Team Issues

Doubts over a lack of an distinctive approach, enduring debates over selection and exits from the backroom staff have all contributed to the feeling that the most famous squad in the sport is currently one in a state of flux.

Most importantly, it is the dip in performances from a past excellence set between the global tournaments of the last decade that has prompted some to speculate that we have transitioned away of the era of All Black exceptionalism.

Past Performance

Before their journey for the European tour, it was announced that in the coming year, in the non-existence of the Rugby Championship, the All Blacks will meet South Africa in a off-season matches termed 'a tour like no other'.

Traditionally the sport's top competitors, there is clear agreement over who has lately dominated of what marketers have labeled 'Rugby's Greatest Rivalry'.

In recent seasons, the South African team have claimed a two of World Cups, three Rugby Championships and a tour against the home nations team to be viewed as the side of their period.

New Zealand have persisted to overcome the Irish team when it is crucial, beating Saturday's opponents in the World Cup quarter finals of 2019 and '23. They have, additionally, been defeated in just two of the past 21 meetings with England, have beaten the Welsh side in every encounter since the sixties and have never suffered defeat by the Scottish team.

Changing Dynamics

But the loss of their standing as the rugby's benchmark will continue to rankle.

While the All Blacks dominated through the last ten years - winning 87% of their Test matches, as well as winning the global trophy on two occasions - the World Cup of the previous competition can now be seen as when the hierarchical structure changed in the international rugby.

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

After that event, the New Zealand's success rate has fallen to seventy-one percent. The Springboks themselves lost 10 of their following games but, from the beginning of last year, have achieved victory at a frequency (83%) to rival even the last great New Zealand team.

Head-to-Head

During the same period, the 'Boks have secured victory in five of the recent encounters between the sides, featuring triumph in the recent championship match.

In claiming their current regional title, South Africa administered a record 43-10 defeat on the New Zealand team through 36 unanswered second-half points in Wellington, a score which has triggered another series of controversy regarding the direction of the team under the coach.

Possibly most troubling for followers of the All Blacks will be that, alongside their characteristic physicality, the Springboks' success has come with an creative approach more typically linked with their traditional rivals.

Playing Philosophy

At the time that the New Zealand team were at the zenith of their capabilities 10 years ago, they were a clinical transition team capable of destroying opponents from all areas of the pitch and at all times of the game.

Now, their playing philosophy is more ambiguous as their leader, who has handed out 19 debuts during his recent tenure in command, tries to primarily create the more prosaic building blocks of a successful side.

It has previously announced that the assistant coach in charge of offense, their offensive coordinator, will depart his position after the upcoming matches, making him the second member of the coaching staff to leave after another coach walked away last year after just limited matches.

Expectations vs Reality

It was not just previous achievements, but his approach, that was expected to translate from Crusaders when he took over after the 2023 World Cup but, so far, both are still a ongoing development.

Organizational Strategy

When private equity firm Silver Lake bought a stake in New Zealand rugby in the past, the following communication spoke of the "search of worldwide growth" for the organization.

That task has maybe been more challenging by the absence of a global icon. Ardie Savea and the collection of related players remain household names in the game, but the distribution of talented players has never been spread wider. Their leader is the only New Zealand player to receive international honors in the past six seasons, in contrast to 10 in multiple seasons between previous generations.

International Growth

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

The opening phase of this 'Grand Slam' tour brings the All Blacks not to Dublin but the American city, a revisit to the Soldier Field venue where the Irish team secured a landmark success in the match in previous seasons.

Following the relaxation of health protocols, the New Zealand team have additionally