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Aiming for what would be just a fifth northern hemisphere clean sweep in their illustrious legacy, the New Zealand side have traveled to Europe at an pivotal moment.

Matches against Ireland, Scotland, the English squad and the Welsh team await Scott Robertson's side across the next four weekends but, beyond the possibility to match the sides of previous successful tours in the record books, the matches will be used as a measure to assess the progress of the team under a manager now well established from assuming control.

Team Issues

Questions over a absence of an clear playing identity, enduring debates over player choices and leavings from the backroom staff have all contributed to the feeling that the most famous squad in the sport is now one in a period of transition.

Most significantly, it is the drop in results from a historic high watermark set between the World Cups of the last decade that has caused some to theorize that we have moved out of the era of New Zealand dominance.

Past Performance

Before their journey for the European tour, it was announced that next year, in the lack of the southern hemisphere competition, New Zealand will meet the Springboks in a warm-weather tour termed 'an unprecedented series'.

Traditionally the sport's top competitors, there is little doubt over who has currently outperformed of what organizers have called 'The Ultimate Contest'.

Over the past seven years, the South African team have won a couple of World Cups, three southern hemisphere titles and a competition against the British and Irish Lions to be regarded as the team of their era.

New Zealand have maintained to overcome Ireland when it counts most, beating their next challengers in the World Cup quarter finals of the past two tournaments. They have, additionally, been defeated in just a pair of the recent encounters with England, have overcome Wales in every encounter since the sixties and have remained unbeaten by Scotland.

Evolving Landscape

But the loss of their standing as the sport's measure of excellence will continue to rankle.

Whereas the New Zealand team dominated through the previous decade - achieving eighty-seven percent of their Test matches, as well as claiming the World Cup on several instances - the World Cup of the previous competition can now be viewed as when the balance of power moved in the international rugby.

New Zealand beat South Africa in their initial fixture of the competition in the host nation, but it was the South Africans who were finally victorious in the final.

From that point, the All Blacks' victory ratio has dropped to 71%. South Africa themselves were defeated in 10 of their next 26 Test matches but, commencing of 2023, have won at a frequency (eighty-three percent) to match even the former Kiwi champions.

Recent Encounters

Throughout the equivalent timeframe, the Springboks have won the majority of the recent encounters between the opponents, including success in the latest global tournament decider.

In claiming their current continental championship, South Africa administered a historic loss on the New Zealand team thanks to 36 unanswered second-half points in Wellington, a outcome which has ignited another series of debate regarding the progress of the squad under the coach.

Possibly most concerning for followers of the All Blacks 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.

Style Evolution

When the New Zealand team were at the peak of their abilities a decade past, they were a clinical transition team able of shredding opponents from any part of the playing surface and at any moment of the game.

Currently, their attacking style is more ambiguous as Robertson, who has handed out multiple new players during his 24 months in control, tries to initially build the more prosaic building blocks of a successful side.

It has previously announced that the supporting manager overseeing offense, Jason Holland, will exit the team after the autumn tour, making him the second member of Robertson's ticket to exit after another coach departed last year after just a handful of games.

Team Development

It was not only Robertson's success, but his approach, that was anticipated to translate from previous club when he began his tenure after the recent tournament but, so far, both are still a continuous improvement.

Business Factors

When investment group investors invested capital in All Blacks in the past, the ensuing statement spoke of the "quest of international expansion" for the team.

That task has possibly been harder by the absence of a international celebrity. The current captain and the trio of Barrett brothers remain household names in the game, but the spread of stars has expanded significantly. Savea is the sole New Zealand player to receive World Player of the Year in the past six seasons, in contrast to 10 in over a decade between 2005 and '07.

Global Expansion

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

The initial stage of this northern hemisphere series brings New Zealand not to Dublin but the American city, a revisit to the location where the Irish team obtained a first ever victory in the match nine years ago.

Following the relaxation of pandemic limitations, the All Blacks have additionally