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Aiming for what would be just a fifth tour victory in their illustrious legacy, the All Blacks have headed north at an pivotal moment.

Fixtures against the Irish team, Scotland, the English squad and the Welsh team await the All Blacks across the next four weekends but, in addition to the possibility to join the squads of previous successful tours in the annals of rugby, the games will be used as a benchmark to assess the improvement of the squad under a manager now well established from assuming control.

Present Difficulties

Doubts over a absence of an distinctive approach, enduring debates over selection and leavings from the backroom staff have all added to the perception that the most famous squad in the sport is now one in a time of change.

Most significantly, it is the decline in results from a past excellence set between the global tournaments of the last decade that has led some to theorize that we have transitioned away of the age of All Black exceptionalism.

Team Record

Ahead of their travel for the European tour, it was confirmed that in the coming year, in the absence of the Rugby Championship, New Zealand will face the Springboks in a summer series termed 'a unique competition'.

In the past the sport's top competitors, there is no question over who has lately dominated of what organizers have labeled 'The Ultimate Contest'.

Over the past seven years, the South African team have secured a pair of World Cups, three Rugby Championships and a competition against the home nations team to be regarded as the side of their era.

New Zealand have persisted to defeat Ireland when it is crucial, beating Saturday's opponents in the World Cup quarter finals of the past two tournaments. They have, meanwhile, lost just a pair of the recent encounters with England, have beaten Wales in every encounter since the sixties and have remained unbeaten by Scotland.

Evolving Landscape

But the diminishment of their status as the rugby's benchmark will continue to rankle.

Whereas the All Blacks reigned supreme through the 2010s - winning eighty-seven percent of their Test matches, as well as lifting the World Cup on two occasions - the World Cup of the previous competition can now be seen as when the competitive landscape changed in the world sport.

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

After that event, the New Zealand's success rate has fallen to 71%. South Africa themselves lost 10 of their next 26 Test matches but, from the beginning of 2023, have won at a frequency (eighty-three percent) to match even the previous All Blacks side.

Head-to-Head

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

During their pursuit of their current regional title, Rassie Erasmus' side inflicted a historic loss on the All Blacks thanks to 36 unanswered second-half points in their home ground, a score which has ignited another round of discussion about the direction of the team under the coach.

Maybe most troubling for followers of the New Zealand team will be that, alongside their traditional strength, the Springboks' triumph has come with an offensive flair more typically linked with their opposition team.

Style Evolution

At the time that the New Zealand team were at the zenith of their abilities in previous eras, they were a ruthless counter-attacking unit capable of dismantling opponents from every section of the playing surface and at any moment of the contest.

Now, their playing philosophy is more ambiguous as Robertson, who has awarded multiple new players during his 24 months in command, tries to first establish the more prosaic building blocks of a successful side.

It has already been confirmed that the supporting manager in charge of offense, Jason Holland, will depart his position after the fall series, making him the next individual of Robertson's ticket to depart after previous staff member left last year after just limited matches.

Team Development

It was not just his winning record, but his approach, that was anticipated to carry over from previous club when he took over after the recent tournament but, so far, both continue to be a work in progress.

Organizational Strategy

Following investment group the company invested capital in All Blacks in the past, the subsequent announcement mentioned the "pursuit of worldwide growth" for the team.

That goal has perhaps been more challenging by the absence of a international celebrity. Their key player and the group of family members are still recognizable personalities in the game, but the spread of talented players has never been spread wider. Savea is the only All Black to win international honors in the past six seasons, in contrast to 10 in 13 years between 2005 and '07.

Worldwide Reach

Rather, attempts have been undertaken to introduce the New Zealand team 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 stadium where Ireland secured a landmark success in the fixture in previous seasons.

Following the easing of pandemic limitations, the New Zealand team have furthermore