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Aiming for what would be just a fifth tour victory in their illustrious legacy, the All Blacks have traveled to Europe at an crucial period.

Fixtures against the Irish team, the Scottish side, England and the Welsh team await the All Blacks across the coming month but, in addition to the chance to equal the sides of 1978, 2005, 2008 and 2010 in the annals of rugby, the matches will be used as a yardstick to evaluate the progress of the squad under a head coach now 24 months into from assuming control.

Current Challenges

Concerns over a absence of an distinctive approach, enduring debates over selection and exits from the management team have all fueled the feeling that the most recognisable team in the sport is now one in a time of change.

Most pertinently, it is the dip in performances from a previous peak set between the World Cups of 2011 and 2019 that has caused some to suggest that we have transitioned away of the era of New Zealand dominance.

Team Record

Ahead of their travel for the European tour, it was confirmed that next year, in the lack of the Rugby Championship, New Zealand will play South Africa in a summer series called 'a unique competition'.

Traditionally the rugby's premier teams, there is clear agreement over who has recently got the better of what organizers have called 'The Ultimate Contest'.

In recent seasons, the South African team have secured a couple of World Cups, three southern hemisphere titles and a competition against the home nations team to be considered as the side of their era.

The All Blacks have continued to overcome Ireland when it is crucial, overcoming their next challengers in the World Cup quarter finals of 2019 and '23. They have, meanwhile, been defeated in just a pair of the last fixtures with England, have beaten Wales in all matches since over sixty years ago and have remained unbeaten by the Scottish team.

Changing Dynamics

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

Whereas the All Blacks reigned supreme through the last ten years - winning eighty-seven percent of their fixtures, as well as lifting the World Cup on several instances - the global tournament of 2019 can now be seen as when the balance of power moved in the world sport.

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

After that event, the New Zealand's winning percentage has declined to 71%. The Springboks themselves lost ten of their next 26 Test matches but, commencing of last year, have won at a frequency (eighty-three percent) to match even the previous All Blacks side.

Direct Competition

Throughout the equivalent timeframe, the 'Boks have secured victory in the majority of the recent encounters between the opponents, comprising triumph in the 2023 World Cup final.

While securing their latest continental championship, Rassie Erasmus' side administered a significant beating on the All Blacks courtesy of 36 unanswered second-half points in Wellington, a outcome which has sparked another series of controversy regarding the progress of the squad under Robertson.

Perhaps most jarring for followers of the All Blacks will be that, alongside their traditional strength, the Springboks' success has come with an offensive flair more usually associated with their own side.

Playing Philosophy

During the period when the All Blacks were at the height of their capabilities in previous eras, they were a devastating offensive machine capable of destroying rivals from any part of the field and at any point of the game.

Currently, their offensive approach is unclear as Robertson, who has given numerous first caps during his recent tenure in charge, tries to first establish the basic core elements of a winning team.

It has already been confirmed that the backroom staff member overseeing attack, their offensive coordinator, will exit the team after the autumn tour, making him the second member of management team to depart after Leon MacDonald left last year after just a handful of games.

Team Development

It was not only previous achievements, but his methodology, that was predicted to carry over from his former team when he took over after the global competition but, as yet, the two aspects are still a ongoing development.

Organizational Strategy

After investment group the company acquired shares in All Blacks in the past, the subsequent announcement spoke of the "search of international expansion" for the brand.

That objective has possibly been more difficult by the shortage of a global icon. Their key player and the group of related players are still well-known figures in the rugby, but the concentration of stars has never been spread wider. Savea is the single New Zealand player to earn global recognition in the recent years, in comparison to ten awards in multiple seasons between previous generations.

International Growth

Instead, initiatives have been implemented to introduce the New Zealand team into new territories.

The first leg of this northern hemisphere series brings New Zealand not to Dublin but the American city, a comeback to the Soldier Field venue where the Irish team achieved a first ever victory in the fixture nine years ago.

Following the easing of health protocols, the All Blacks have also