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Aiming for what would be just a fifth tour victory in their illustrious legacy, the New Zealand side have embarked on their tour at an crucial period.

Games against Ireland, the Scottish side, England and the Welsh team await the New Zealand team across the upcoming weeks but, beyond the opportunity to equal the sides of previous successful tours in the record books, the matches will be used as a measure to evaluate the development of the side under a leader now two years on from assuming control.

Current Challenges

Doubts over a lack of an identifiable style, continuing controversies over team picks and departures from the coaching ticket have all added to the feeling that the best-known side in the rugby is currently one in a state of flux.

Most pertinently, it is the decline in results from a past excellence set between the global tournaments of 2011 and 2019 that has led some to suggest that we have transitioned away of the period of Kiwi superiority.

Recent History

Before their departure for the fall series, it was confirmed that next year, in the absence of the Rugby Championship, New Zealand will play South Africa in a off-season matches called 'a tour like no other'.

Traditionally the game's two strongest sides, there is little doubt over who has recently got the better of what promoters have described 'Rugby's Greatest Rivalry'.

During the last decade, the South African team have won a two of global tournaments, three Rugby Championships and a tour against the northern hemisphere selection to be viewed as the team of their generation.

New Zealand have continued to beat the Irish team when it counts most, overcoming their next challengers in the tournament knockout stages of recent years. They have, meanwhile, been defeated in just two of the last fixtures with England, have overcome the Welsh side in each game since the sixties and have always been victorious by Scotland.

Shifting Balance

But the decline of their standing as the sport's measure of excellence will persist as an irritation.

Whereas the All Blacks excelled through the last ten years - achieving eighty-seven percent of their Test matches, as well as claiming the World Cup on two occasions - the global tournament of the previous competition can now be seen as when the hierarchical structure changed in the global game.

New Zealand defeated the Springboks in their initial fixture of the competition in the host nation, but it was the South Africans who were ultimately triumphant in the final.

From that point, the All Blacks' success rate has dropped to seventy-one percent. The Springboks themselves were defeated in 10 of their subsequent fixtures but, since the start of last year, have won at a rate (83%) to rival even the former Kiwi champions.

Head-to-Head

During the same period, the 'Boks have secured victory in five of the past fixtures between the sides, comprising triumph in the recent championship match.

While securing their latest regional title, the Springboks delivered a historic loss on the New Zealand team courtesy of overwhelming display in Wellington, a score which has sparked another round of debate regarding the progress of the squad under Robertson.

Perhaps most jarring for supporters of the All Blacks will be that, alongside their usual power, South Africa's achievement has come with an offensive flair more typically linked with their traditional rivals.

Style Evolution

During the period when the All Blacks were at the zenith of their capabilities a decade past, they were a clinical transition team able of dismantling competitors from every section of the field and at all times of the contest.

Now, their attacking style is less defined as Robertson, who has handed out multiple new players during his 24 months in control, tries to primarily create the basic core elements of a competitive squad.

It has previously announced that the assistant coach responsible for scoring, their offensive coordinator, will leave his role after the upcoming matches, becoming the second member of Robertson's ticket to depart after Leon MacDonald left last year after just limited matches.

Team Development

It was not merely Robertson's success, but his approach, that was predicted to carry over from previous club when he assumed control after the recent tournament but, to date, each continue to be a work in progress.

Organizational Strategy

Following investment group the company invested capital in New Zealand rugby in recent years, the following communication mentioned the "search of new global opportunities" for the team.

That objective has maybe been harder by the lack of a crossover star. Ardie Savea and the group of related players remain well-known figures in the rugby, but the distribution of key individuals has expanded significantly. The captain is the sole New Zealand player to earn international honors in the past six seasons, in contrast to ten awards in over a decade between previous generations.

Global Expansion

Instead, initiatives have been made to transplant the All Blacks into previously untapped markets.

The opening phase of this northern hemisphere series brings the All Blacks not to the Irish capital but Chicago, a comeback to the location where the Irish team secured a first ever victory in the fixture during past tours.

After the easing of Covid-19 travel restrictions, the All Blacks have furthermore