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Pursuing what would be just a fifth northern hemisphere clean sweep in their legendary past, the All Blacks have headed north at an interesting juncture.

Games against Ireland, Scotland, the English squad and the Welsh team await Scott Robertson's side across the next four weekends but, in addition to the possibility to join the teams of 1978, 2005, 2008 and 2010 in the annals of rugby, the fixtures will be used as a benchmark to evaluate the progress of the team under a manager now well established from beginning his tenure.

Present Difficulties

Questions over a lack of an identifiable style, ongoing discussions over team picks and exits from the coaching ticket have all added to the sense that the most famous squad in the sport is presently one in a time of change.

Most importantly, it is the dip in results from a historic high watermark set between the global tournaments of the last decade that has caused some to theorize that we have evolved beyond of the period of New Zealand dominance.

Past Performance

Ahead of their departure for the fall series, it was confirmed that next year, in the lack of the southern hemisphere competition, the All Blacks will face the Springboks in a summer series called 'a unique competition'.

Historically the sport's top competitors, there is clear agreement over who has currently outperformed of what marketers have described 'The Ultimate Contest'.

In recent seasons, the Springboks have won a pair of global tournaments, three Rugby Championships and a competition against the British and Irish Lions to be viewed as the team of their generation.

New Zealand have persisted to overcome the Irish team when it counts most, overcoming Saturday's opponents in the World Cup quarter finals of 2019 and '23. They have, at the same time, lost just a couple of the past 21 meetings with the English team, have defeated the Welsh side in all matches since the sixties and have never suffered defeat by Scotland.

Shifting Balance

But the decline of their position as the game's gold standard will continue to rankle.

Although the All Blacks reigned supreme through the last ten years - winning eighty-seven percent of their Test matches, as well as claiming the Webb Ellis on two occasions - the global tournament of 2019 can now be seen as when the competitive landscape moved in the international rugby.

The All Blacks beat South Africa in their initial fixture of the tournament in Japan, but it was the South Africans who were ultimately triumphant in the championship match.

From that point, the All Blacks' winning percentage has dropped to 71%. South Africa themselves lost 10 of their following games but, commencing of 2023, have won at a frequency (83%) to rival even the previous All Blacks side.

Recent Encounters

Over the same period, the Springboks have won the majority of the past fixtures between the opponents, featuring triumph in the recent championship match.

In claiming their current southern hemisphere crown, the Springboks delivered a historic loss on the All Blacks through overwhelming display in the capital, a result which has triggered another round of discussion about the development of the side under their leader.

Perhaps most concerning for supporters of the All Blacks will be that, combined with their characteristic physicality, South Africa's success has come with an creative approach more usually associated with their own side.

Playing Philosophy

At the time that the New Zealand team were at the peak of their abilities in previous eras, they were a devastating offensive machine equipped of shredding opponents from any part of the field and at all times of the match.

Now, their playing philosophy is unclear as the coach, who has awarded multiple new players during his two years in command, tries to initially build the fundamental building blocks of a competitive squad.

It has recently revealed that the supporting manager responsible for scoring, their offensive coordinator, will depart his position after the autumn tour, making him the next individual of management team to leave after Leon MacDonald left last year after just five Tests.

Performance Gap

It was not only his winning record, but his methodology, that was expected to carry over from previous club when he began his tenure after the 2023 World Cup but, so far, both continue to be a work in progress.

Commercial Considerations

After investment group Silver Lake invested capital in New Zealand rugby in 2022, the subsequent announcement mentioned the "quest of new global opportunities" for the team.

That goal has possibly been harder by the shortage of a global icon. Their key player and the group of family members continue to be well-known figures in the game, but the spread of key individuals has never been spread wider. The captain is the sole New Zealand player to win World Player of the Year in the current era, in opposition to 10 in over a decade between 2005 and '07.

Global Expansion

Rather, attempts have been undertaken to introduce the All Blacks into emerging regions.

The opening phase of this northern hemisphere series brings the All Blacks not to the Irish capital but Chicago, a revisit to the location where the Irish team secured a first ever victory in the contest in previous seasons.

Since the relaxation of health protocols, the All Blacks have furthermore