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Seeking what would be just a fifth northern hemisphere clean sweep in their illustrious legacy, the All Blacks have traveled to Europe at an interesting juncture.

Games against the Irish team, Scotland, England and the Welsh team await the All Blacks across the next four weekends but, in addition to the chance to join the squads of previous successful tours in the record books, the games will be used as a measure to measure the progress of the team under a head coach now 24 months into from taking up the reins.

Current Challenges

Questions over a absence of an identifiable style, ongoing discussions over selection and exits from the coaching ticket have all fueled the feeling that the best-known side in the sport is presently one in a period of transition.

Most importantly, it is the drop in results from a previous peak set between the global tournaments of the last decade that has led some to speculate that we have transitioned away of the age of Kiwi superiority.

Past Performance

Prior to their departure for the European tour, it was confirmed that next year, in the non-existence of the southern hemisphere competition, the All Blacks will play South Africa in a warm-weather tour termed 'a unique competition'.

Traditionally the sport's top competitors, there is no question over who has recently got the better of what organizers have called 'Rugby's Greatest Rivalry'.

In recent seasons, the Springboks have won a couple of World Cups, three Rugby Championships and a competition against the home nations team to be regarded as the side of their period.

New Zealand have continued to defeat Ireland when it matters most, defeating this weekend's rivals in the World Cup quarter finals of the past two tournaments. They have, meanwhile, lost just two of the past 21 meetings with England, have overcome the Welsh side in every encounter since over sixty years ago and have always been victorious by Scotland.

Changing Dynamics

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

While the All Blacks reigned supreme through the previous decade - winning 87% of their fixtures, as well as winning the global trophy on several instances - the global tournament of the previous competition can now be seen as when the balance of power changed in the world sport.

New Zealand beat South Africa in their initial fixture of the championship in Japan, but it was the South Africans who were eventually successful in the championship match.

From that point, the All Blacks' winning percentage has declined to 71%. South Africa themselves lost ten of their following games but, since the start of 2023, have won at a frequency (eighty-three percent) to match even the former Kiwi champions.

Recent Encounters

Throughout the same period, the 'Boks have secured victory in the majority of the past fixtures between the sides, comprising victory in the 2023 World Cup final.

In claiming their latest continental championship, Rassie Erasmus' side inflicted a record 43-10 defeat on the New Zealand team thanks to dominant performance in the capital, a score which has ignited another series of controversy regarding the progress of the team under the coach.

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

Style Evolution

During the period when the All Blacks were at the peak of their abilities 10 years ago, they were a devastating offensive machine capable of destroying rivals from any part of the pitch and at any moment of the game.

Today, their offensive approach is unclear as the coach, who has given multiple new players during his 24 months in control, tries to initially build the more prosaic core elements of a competitive squad.

It has previously announced that the supporting manager responsible for offense, the current coach, will exit the team after the fall series, making him the next individual of Robertson's ticket to exit after another coach walked away last year after just limited matches.

Performance Gap

It was not merely his winning record, but his methodology, that was predicted to carry over from previous club when he assumed control after the 2023 World Cup but, as yet, each continue to be a continuous improvement.

Organizational Strategy

Following investment group investors bought a stake in New Zealand rugby in the past, the subsequent announcement discussed the "pursuit of new global opportunities" for the team.

That objective has maybe been harder by the lack of a global icon. The current captain and the group of family members are still household names in the rugby, but the concentration of stars has become more diverse. Their leader is the sole All Black to win international honors in the past six seasons, in opposition to 10 in 13 years between the mid-2000s.

International Growth

Alternatively, efforts have been implemented to transplant the New Zealand team into new territories.

The opening phase of this 'Grand Slam' tour brings the All Blacks not to Dublin but Chicago, a comeback to the Soldier Field venue where the Irish team secured a historic win in the fixture during past tours.

After the relaxation of pandemic limitations, the All Blacks have furthermore