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Aiming for what would be just a fifth northern hemisphere clean sweep in their illustrious legacy, the All Blacks have headed north at an interesting juncture.

Games against the Irish team, the Scottish side, the English squad and Wales await the All Blacks across the upcoming weeks but, quite aside from the chance to match 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 side under a head coach now two years on from taking up the reins.

Current Challenges

Concerns over a absence of an clear playing identity, ongoing discussions over player choices and leavings from the coaching ticket have all added to the feeling that the most recognisable team in the game is currently one in a time of change.

Most pertinently, it is the drop in outcomes from a previous peak set between the World Cups of 2011 and 2019 that has led some to theorize that we have transitioned away of the age of Kiwi superiority.

Recent History

Ahead of their travel for the northern hemisphere, it was revealed that during the following season, in the absence of the southern hemisphere competition, the All Blacks will meet South Africa in a summer series termed 'a unique competition'.

Traditionally the game's two strongest sides, there is clear agreement over who has lately dominated of what promoters have labeled 'The Premier Rivalry'.

In recent seasons, the South African team have claimed a pair of World Cups, three southern hemisphere titles and a series against the northern hemisphere selection to be regarded as the squad of their era.

The All Blacks have continued to overcome Ireland when it matters most, defeating Saturday's opponents in the tournament knockout stages of 2019 and '23. They have, at the same time, been defeated in just a couple of the last fixtures with the English team, have beaten the Welsh side in every encounter since over sixty years ago and have always been victorious by the Scottish team.

Evolving Landscape

But the diminishment of their position as the rugby's benchmark will continue to rankle.

Although the New Zealand team excelled through the last ten years - securing 87% of their international games, as well as claiming the Webb Ellis on several instances - the World Cup of the previous competition can now be viewed as when the balance of power shifted in the global game.

The All Blacks beat South Africa in their initial fixture of the competition in Japan, but it was the Boks' who were ultimately triumphant in Yokohama.

From that point, the All Blacks' success rate has dropped to seventy-one percent. The Springboks themselves were defeated in ten of their next 26 Test matches but, from the beginning of 2023, have achieved victory at a rate (83%) to rival even the last great New Zealand team.

Direct Competition

During the comparable duration, the 'Boks have won the majority of the recent encounters between the opponents, including triumph in the latest global tournament decider.

During their pursuit of their most recent continental championship, the Springboks delivered a record 43-10 defeat on the All Blacks thanks to overwhelming display in Wellington, a score which has sparked another wave of discussion concerning the direction of the side under their leader.

Maybe most troubling for fans of the New Zealand team will be that, alongside their usual power, the Springboks' achievement has come with an attacking verve more commonly connected with their opposition team.

Team Identity

During the period when the New Zealand team were at the height of their abilities in previous eras, they were a clinical transition team equipped of destroying rivals from any part of the pitch and at any moment of the match.

Today, their offensive approach is unclear as the coach, who has handed out 19 debuts during his two years in charge, tries to primarily create the more prosaic core elements of a competitive squad.

It has already been confirmed that the backroom staff member in charge of offense, their offensive coordinator, will leave his role after the fall series, making him the second member of management team to leave after previous staff member left last year after just a handful of games.

Performance Gap

It was not just Robertson's success, but his methodology, that was expected to transfer from previous club when he assumed control after the recent tournament but, so far, each are still a continuous improvement.

Commercial Considerations

When financial organization investors bought a stake in New Zealand rugby in 2022, the following communication spoke of the "pursuit of new global opportunities" for the organization.

That goal has possibly been more difficult by the lack of a crossover star. Ardie Savea and the trio of family members continue to be recognizable personalities in the sport, but the concentration of key individuals has expanded significantly. Their leader is the single All Black to earn World Player of the Year in the current era, in contrast to 10 in 13 years between 2005 and '07.

Global Expansion

Rather, attempts have been implemented to introduce the New Zealand team into emerging regions.

The initial stage of this northern hemisphere series brings the All Blacks not to Dublin but the American city, a return to the stadium where Ireland secured a landmark success in the match nine years ago.

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