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Pursuing what would be just a fifth northern hemisphere clean sweep in their storied history, the New Zealand side have headed north at an pivotal moment.

Games against Ireland, the Scottish side, the English squad and the Welsh team await Scott Robertson's side across the next four weekends but, quite aside from the chance to join the squads of previous successful tours in the history books, the fixtures will be used as a benchmark to evaluate the development of the side under a leader now well established from taking up the reins.

Present Difficulties

Questions over a shortage of an distinctive approach, ongoing discussions over player choices and exits from the management team have all fueled the feeling that the best-known side in the sport is presently one in a period of transition.

Most significantly, it is the decline in performances from a historic high watermark set between the global tournaments of 2011 and 2019 that has prompted some to theorize that we have evolved beyond of the era of New Zealand dominance.

Past Performance

Ahead of their departure for the northern hemisphere, it was revealed that in the coming year, in the non-existence of the Rugby Championship, New Zealand will face the Springboks in a warm-weather tour dubbed 'a tour like no other'.

In the past the sport's top competitors, there is clear agreement over who has currently outperformed of what promoters have described 'The Premier Rivalry'.

In recent seasons, the Springboks have secured a pair of World Cups, three Rugby Championships and a series against the home nations team to be regarded as the team of their generation.

The All Blacks have persisted to overcome Ireland when it matters most, beating this weekend's rivals in the tournament knockout stages of 2019 and '23. They have, meanwhile, lost just two of the last fixtures with England, have defeated Wales in every encounter since 1963 and have remained unbeaten by the Scottish team.

Changing Dynamics

But the decline of their standing as the rugby's benchmark will remain frustrating.

Whereas the All Blacks excelled through the 2010s - winning 87% of their international games, as well as lifting the Webb Ellis on several instances - the World Cup of the previous competition can now be seen as when the competitive landscape moved in the global game.

The All Blacks defeated South Africa in their initial fixture of the competition in Japan, but it was the Boks' who were ultimately triumphant in Yokohama.

After that event, the New Zealand's victory ratio has fallen to seventy-one percent. The Springboks themselves lost ten of their subsequent fixtures but, commencing of last year, have achieved victory at a frequency (83%) to compete with even the former Kiwi champions.

Head-to-Head

During the comparable duration, the Springboks have secured victory in five of the recent encounters between the sides, comprising victory in the recent championship match.

While securing their latest regional title, the Springboks administered a record 43-10 defeat on the New Zealand team courtesy of 36 unanswered second-half points in the capital, a outcome which has ignited another wave of debate about the direction of the team under the coach.

Maybe most troubling for followers of the New Zealand team will be that, alongside their usual power, South Africa's success has come with an offensive flair more usually associated with their own side.

Team Identity

During the period when the All Blacks were at the peak of their powers 10 years ago, they were a devastating offensive machine equipped of shredding rivals from every section of the pitch and at any moment of the match.

Today, their offensive approach is unclear as Robertson, who has given 19 debuts during his 24 months in control, tries to primarily create the more prosaic building blocks of a winning team.

It has already been confirmed that the supporting manager overseeing offense, the current coach, will leave his role after the autumn tour, becoming the second member of Robertson's ticket to depart after Leon MacDonald left last year after just limited matches.

Expectations vs Reality

It was not just his winning record, but his methodology, that was anticipated to transfer from his former team when he began his tenure after the recent tournament but, so far, each are still a work in progress.

Business Factors

Following private equity firm investors bought a stake in All Blacks in recent years, the following communication mentioned the "quest of new global opportunities" for the brand.

That objective has possibly been more difficult by the absence of a crossover star. Their key player and the group of related players are still household names in the game, but the spread of stars has never been spread wider. Savea is the only All Black to receive World Player of the Year in the current era, in contrast to 10 in multiple seasons between 2005 and '07.

Global Expansion

Alternatively, efforts have been made to transplant the All Blacks into emerging regions.

The opening phase of this 'Grand Slam' tour brings New Zealand not to Dublin but the American city, a revisit to the Soldier Field venue where the Irish team achieved a landmark success in the contest during past tours.

Following the reduction of health protocols, the New Zealand team have also