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Aiming for what would be just a fifth tour victory in their legendary past, the New Zealand side have traveled to Europe at an crucial period.

Fixtures against Ireland, the Scottish side, the English squad and Wales await Scott Robertson's side across the upcoming weeks but, beyond the possibility to join the teams of 1978, 2005, 2008 and 2010 in the annals of rugby, the matches will be used as a measure to assess the progress of the side under a manager now two years on from taking up the reins.

Present Difficulties

Questions over a absence of an identifiable style, continuing controversies over player choices and departures from the backroom staff have all contributed to the sense that the most famous squad in the rugby is currently one in a period of transition.

Most pertinently, it is the decline in performances from a historic high watermark set between the global tournaments of the last decade that has prompted some to speculate that we have moved out of the era of New Zealand dominance.

Past Performance

Before their departure for the European tour, it was confirmed that during the following season, in the absence of the southern hemisphere competition, New Zealand will face South Africa in a warm-weather tour termed 'a unique competition'.

In the past the rugby's premier teams, there is no question over who has recently got the better of what organizers have called 'The Ultimate Contest'.

During the last decade, the Springboks have secured a pair of global tournaments, three southern hemisphere titles and a tour against the British and Irish Lions to be viewed as the squad of their era.

The All Blacks have continued to defeat Ireland when it counts most, defeating this weekend's rivals in the global competition of recent years. They have, meanwhile, been defeated in just a couple of the recent encounters with England, have beaten the Welsh side in every encounter since the sixties and have never suffered defeat by the Scottish team.

Shifting Balance

But the decline of their position as the game's gold standard will remain frustrating.

Although the All Blacks dominated through the 2010s - securing eighty-seven percent of their international games, as well as lifting the World Cup on multiple times - the global tournament of the previous competition can now be viewed as when the competitive landscape shifted in the international rugby.

The All Blacks overcame South Africa in their initial fixture of the championship in the host nation, but it was the Boks' who were ultimately triumphant in Yokohama.

From that point, the All Blacks' winning percentage has declined to 71%. South Africa themselves lost 10 of their next 26 Test matches but, since the start of 2023, have won at a rate (eighty-three percent) to match even the previous All Blacks side.

Head-to-Head

Over the same period, the South African team have won five of the past fixtures between the teams, including success in the latest global tournament decider.

While securing their latest continental championship, Rassie Erasmus' side delivered a record 43-10 defeat on the All Blacks through 36 unanswered second-half points in Wellington, a result which has ignited another series of controversy regarding the direction of the side under the coach.

Maybe most jarring for supporters of the New Zealand team will be that, alongside their traditional strength, South Africa's achievement has come with an attacking verve more commonly connected with their traditional rivals.

Team Identity

During the period when the All Blacks were at the height of their powers in previous eras, they were a devastating offensive machine able of destroying rivals from all areas of the pitch and at any moment of the game.

Today, their playing philosophy is less defined as the coach, who has given multiple new players during his two years in control, tries to initially build the basic core elements of a competitive squad.

It has recently revealed that the supporting manager in charge of offense, Jason Holland, will depart his position after the autumn tour, becoming the next individual of management team to leave after Leon MacDonald departed last year after just a handful of games.

Performance Gap

It was not only previous achievements, but his approach, that was anticipated to carry over from previous club when he began his tenure after the 2023 World Cup but, to date, the two aspects are still a work in progress.

Business Factors

Following private equity firm the company acquired shares in New Zealand rugby in 2022, the following communication mentioned the "pursuit of new global opportunities" for the team.

That objective has maybe been more challenging by the shortage of a international celebrity. Ardie Savea and the collection of family members are still well-known figures in the sport, but the concentration of stars has expanded significantly. The captain is the sole New Zealand player to win World Player of the Year in the current era, in contrast to ten awards in 13 years between 2005 and '07.

Global Expansion

Alternatively, initiatives have been implemented to transplant the All Blacks into previously untapped markets.

The first leg of this 'Grand Slam' tour brings New Zealand not to the Irish capital but the American city, a return to the Soldier Field venue where the Irish team obtained a historic win in the contest during past tours.

Since the reduction of pandemic limitations, the New Zealand team have furthermore