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Seeking what would be just a fifth 'Grand Slam' in their illustrious legacy, the All Blacks have headed north at an crucial period.

Matches against the Irish team, Scotland, the English squad and Wales await Scott Robertson's side across the upcoming weeks but, beyond the possibility to equal the squads of previous successful tours in the annals of rugby, the fixtures will be used as a benchmark to evaluate the improvement of the side under a head coach now well established from assuming control.

Present Difficulties

Concerns over a absence of an distinctive approach, enduring debates over player choices and leavings from the coaching ticket have all contributed to the feeling that the most famous squad in the game is now one in a time of change.

Most importantly, it is the dip in outcomes from a past excellence set between the global tournaments of 2011 and 2019 that has prompted some to speculate that we have moved out of the age of New Zealand dominance.

Past Performance

Before their travel for the fall series, it was announced that next year, in the non-existence of the southern hemisphere competition, the All Blacks will play the Springboks in a warm-weather tour called 'a unique competition'.

In the past the game's two strongest sides, there is clear agreement over who has recently got the better of what promoters have called 'The Premier Rivalry'.

Over the past seven years, the South African team have secured a two of global tournaments, three Rugby Championships and a series against the northern hemisphere selection to be regarded as the team of their generation.

The All Blacks have maintained to beat the Irish team when it is crucial, defeating their next challengers in the World Cup quarter finals of the past two tournaments. They have, additionally, been defeated in just a couple of the recent encounters with the English team, have defeated the Welsh side in each game since the sixties and have remained unbeaten by the Scottish team.

Evolving Landscape

But the decline of their standing as the rugby's benchmark will persist as an irritation.

While the All Blacks excelled through the previous decade - winning 87% of their Test matches, as well as claiming the World Cup on two occasions - the global tournament of 2019 can now be viewed as when the hierarchical structure shifted in the global game.

New Zealand beat South Africa in their initial fixture of the championship in the host nation, but it was the South Africans who were ultimately triumphant in the final.

From that point, the All Blacks' success rate has dropped to 71%. The Springboks themselves were defeated in ten of their next 26 Test matches but, since the start of last year, have achieved victory at a percentage (eighty-three percent) to rival even the former Kiwi champions.

Recent Encounters

Over the same period, the 'Boks have secured victory in five of the past fixtures between the sides, featuring victory in the latest global tournament decider.

During their pursuit of their current continental championship, the Springboks inflicted a historic loss on the All Blacks through 36 unanswered second-half points in their home ground, a result which has sparked another round of controversy regarding the progress of the team under Robertson.

Maybe most jarring for fans of the New Zealand team will be that, combined with their usual power, South Africa's triumph has come with an creative approach more commonly connected with their own side.

Team Identity

When the All Blacks were at the zenith of their powers 10 years ago, they were a ruthless counter-attacking unit capable of shredding competitors from any part of the playing surface and at any moment of the match.

Today, their attacking style is unclear as Robertson, who has given multiple new players during his two years in charge, tries to first establish the basic core elements of a successful side.

It has recently revealed that the backroom staff member in charge of scoring, their offensive coordinator, will leave his role after the fall series, making him the second member of Robertson's ticket to depart after previous staff member left last year after just a handful of games.

Expectations vs Reality

It was not just Robertson's success, but his methodology, that was anticipated to carry over from previous club when he began his tenure after the recent tournament but, so far, the two aspects continue to be a continuous improvement.

Commercial Considerations

Following financial organization investors bought a stake in New Zealand rugby in the past, the ensuing statement mentioned the "pursuit of international expansion" for the organization.

That objective has perhaps been harder by the shortage of a international celebrity. Their key player and the collection of family members are still well-known figures in the game, but the concentration of stars has never been spread wider. Savea is the single All Black to earn global recognition in the past six seasons, in opposition to 10 in multiple seasons between 2005 and '07.

Global Expansion

Alternatively, efforts have been undertaken to establish the All Blacks into new territories.

The initial stage of this 'Grand Slam' tour brings New Zealand not to the Irish capital but the American city, a revisit to the location where the Irish team achieved a historic win in the match nine years ago.

Following the easing of Covid-19 travel restrictions, the All Blacks have furthermore