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Seeking what would be just a fifth 'Grand Slam' in their legendary past, the New Zealand side have traveled to Europe at an pivotal moment.

Games against the Irish team, the Scottish side, the English squad and Wales await Scott Robertson's side across the upcoming weeks but, in addition to the chance to match the teams of 1978, 2005, 2008 and 2010 in the annals of rugby, the matches will be used as a benchmark to evaluate the progress of the team under a leader now two years on from assuming control.

Present Difficulties

Questions over a lack of an distinctive approach, continuing controversies over team picks and exits from the backroom staff have all fueled the perception that the most famous squad in the game is presently one in a time of change.

Most pertinently, it is the drop in outcomes from a previous peak set between the global tournaments of the last decade that has caused some to theorize that we have evolved beyond of the era of Kiwi superiority.

Team Record

Before their journey for the European tour, it was revealed that next year, in the absence of the southern hemisphere competition, the All Blacks will face the Springboks in a warm-weather tour dubbed 'an unprecedented series'.

Historically the rugby's premier teams, there is clear agreement over who has recently got the better of what promoters have called 'Rugby's Greatest Rivalry'.

During the last decade, the Springboks have claimed a couple of global tournaments, three southern hemisphere titles and a series against the home nations team to be regarded as the side of their generation.

New Zealand have persisted to beat the Irish team when it matters most, beating this weekend's rivals in the tournament knockout stages of recent years. They have, at the same time, lost just two of the last fixtures with the English team, have defeated the Welsh side in all matches since 1963 and have never suffered defeat by Scotland.

Evolving Landscape

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

Whereas the All Blacks reigned supreme through the last ten years - winning eighty-seven percent of their Test matches, as well as lifting the World Cup on two occasions - the World Cup of 2019 can now be seen as when the competitive landscape changed in the international rugby.

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

Since then, the New Zealand's success rate has declined to seventy-one percent. The Springboks themselves lost 10 of their subsequent fixtures but, commencing of last year, have won at a rate (83%) to match even the last great New Zealand team.

Head-to-Head

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

During their pursuit of their latest regional title, the Springboks administered a record 43-10 defeat on the New Zealand team courtesy of 36 unanswered second-half points in their home ground, a outcome which has ignited another round of controversy concerning the direction of the squad under the coach.

Perhaps most concerning 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 traditional rivals.

Style Evolution

At the time that the All Blacks were at the zenith of their abilities 10 years ago, they were a ruthless counter-attacking unit equipped of dismantling opponents from any part of the field and at any moment of the match.

Today, their playing philosophy is less defined as their leader, who has awarded numerous first caps during his recent tenure in command, tries to primarily create the fundamental foundations of a winning team.

It has already been confirmed that the supporting manager responsible for offense, the current coach, will depart his position after the fall series, making him the second member of management team to depart after another coach departed last year after just a handful of games.

Performance Gap

It was not just his winning record, but his approach, that was expected to transfer from previous club when he began his tenure after the global competition but, as yet, the two aspects are still a continuous improvement.

Business Factors

When financial organization the company bought a stake in New Zealand rugby in the past, the following communication discussed the "quest of new global opportunities" for the team.

That objective has perhaps been harder by the lack of a global icon. Ardie Savea and the collection of family members continue to be household names in the sport, but the concentration of key individuals has become more diverse. Savea is the only New Zealand player to earn international honors in the past six seasons, in comparison to 10 in multiple seasons between 2005 and '07.

Global Expansion

Instead, efforts have been implemented to introduce the All Blacks into new territories.

The opening phase of this European campaign brings New Zealand not to Dublin but Chicago, a revisit to the stadium where the Irish team obtained a historic win in the fixture during past tours.

Following the relaxation of Covid-19 travel restrictions, the All Blacks have additionally