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Seeking what would be just a fifth northern hemisphere clean sweep in their illustrious legacy, the All Blacks have headed north at an pivotal moment.

Games against the Irish team, Scotland, England and Wales await the All Blacks across the coming month but, in addition to the possibility to match the sides of 1978, 2005, 2008 and 2010 in the record books, the matches will be used as a benchmark to assess the development of the team under a manager now two years on from taking up the reins.

Present Difficulties

Doubts over a absence of an distinctive approach, ongoing discussions over team picks and departures from the coaching ticket have all fueled the feeling that the best-known side in the game is currently one in a state of flux.

Most importantly, it is the decline in outcomes from a historic high watermark set between the global tournaments of the last decade that has led some to speculate that we have transitioned away of the age of New Zealand dominance.

Recent History

Before their journey for the northern hemisphere, it was announced that during the following season, in the non-existence of the Rugby Championship, New Zealand will meet the Springboks in a off-season matches called 'an unprecedented series'.

Historically the game's two strongest sides, there is clear agreement over who has recently got the better of what promoters have labeled 'The Premier Rivalry'.

Over the past seven years, the Springboks have won a two of global tournaments, three southern hemisphere titles and a tour against the home nations team to be regarded as the squad of their generation.

New Zealand have maintained to defeat the Irish team when it matters most, beating their next challengers in the World Cup quarter finals of the past two tournaments. They have, at the same time, lost just two of the last fixtures with the English team, have beaten Wales in every encounter since over sixty years ago and have never suffered defeat by the Scottish team.

Changing Dynamics

But the decline of their position as the rugby's benchmark will remain frustrating.

Whereas the All Blacks excelled through the previous decade - winning eighty-seven percent of their international games, as well as lifting the Webb Ellis on several instances - the World Cup of 2019 can now be regarded as when the balance of power shifted in the global game.

New Zealand defeated the Springboks in their first game of the championship in Japan, but it was the Boks' who were ultimately triumphant in the final.

After that event, the All Blacks' success rate has fallen to seventy-one percent. South Africa themselves lost 10 of their following games but, commencing of last year, have achieved victory at a frequency (83%) to match even the former Kiwi champions.

Head-to-Head

Throughout the same period, the Springboks have secured victory in the majority of the past fixtures between the sides, featuring triumph in the latest global tournament decider.

During their pursuit of their current regional title, Rassie Erasmus' side inflicted a significant beating on the New Zealand team thanks to 36 unanswered second-half points in the capital, a result which has ignited another series of controversy about the direction of the side under their leader.

Perhaps most jarring for fans of the New Zealand team will be that, allied to their usual power, South Africa's triumph has come with an creative approach more typically linked with their opposition team.

Team Identity

During the period when the New Zealand team were at the peak of their powers a decade past, they were a ruthless counter-attacking unit equipped of shredding competitors from every section of the field and at any point of the contest.

Now, their offensive approach is more ambiguous as their leader, who has handed out numerous first caps during his 24 months in charge, tries to primarily create the basic foundations of a winning team.

It has already been confirmed that the backroom staff member in charge of attack, Jason Holland, will depart his position after the fall series, making him the additional person of Robertson's ticket to leave after another coach walked away last year after just a handful of games.

Performance Gap

It was not only his winning record, but his methodology, that was anticipated to translate from his former team when he began his tenure after the recent tournament but, as yet, both are still a ongoing development.

Business Factors

When private equity firm the company bought a stake in All Blacks in 2022, the ensuing statement spoke of the "quest of worldwide growth" for the organization.

That task has perhaps been harder by the absence of a international celebrity. The current captain and the collection of family members remain recognizable personalities in the rugby, but the distribution of talented players has become more diverse. Savea is the only New Zealand player to earn World Player of the Year in the current era, in comparison to 10 in multiple seasons between 2005 and '07.

Global Expansion

Alternatively, efforts have been implemented to introduce the All Blacks into previously untapped markets.

The opening phase of this northern hemisphere series brings New Zealand not to Dublin but the American city, a revisit to the location where Ireland secured a historic win in the fixture in previous seasons.

Since the reduction of pandemic limitations, the All Blacks have additionally