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Seeking what would be just a fifth 'Grand Slam' in their storied history, the All Blacks have traveled to Europe at an crucial period.

Matches against the Irish team, Scotland, the English squad and Wales await Scott Robertson's side across the upcoming weeks but, quite aside from the chance to match the teams of previous successful tours in the history books, the fixtures will be used as a measure to assess the improvement of the team under a head coach now well established from assuming control.

Team Issues

Concerns over a lack of an distinctive approach, enduring debates over selection and departures from the backroom staff have all fueled the perception that the most recognisable team in the game is currently one in a period of transition.

Most importantly, it is the drop in outcomes from a previous peak set between the global tournaments of 2011 and 2019 that has prompted some to theorize that we have evolved beyond of the age of All Black exceptionalism.

Past Performance

Ahead of their journey for the northern hemisphere, it was revealed that in the coming year, in the lack of the southern hemisphere competition, the All Blacks will meet South Africa in a off-season matches termed 'a unique competition'.

Historically the sport's top competitors, there is little doubt over who has currently outperformed of what marketers have described 'Rugby's Greatest Rivalry'.

In recent seasons, the Springboks have secured a couple of global tournaments, three southern hemisphere titles and a series against the northern hemisphere selection to be regarded as the team of their era.

New Zealand have continued to overcome the Irish team when it is crucial, overcoming this weekend's rivals in the global competition of 2019 and '23. They have, at the same time, lost just a pair of the last fixtures with England, have defeated Wales in all matches since 1963 and have always been victorious by Scotland.

Evolving Landscape

But the decline of their status as the game's gold standard will persist as an irritation.

While the New Zealand team excelled through the last ten years - winning eighty-seven percent of their Test matches, as well as lifting the Webb Ellis on two occasions - the World Cup of the previous competition can now be regarded as when the hierarchical structure shifted in the world sport.

New Zealand overcame the Springboks in their initial fixture of the competition in the host nation, but it was the Boks' who were eventually successful in the final.

Since then, the All Blacks' success rate has declined to seventy-one percent. The Springboks themselves lost 10 of their next 26 Test matches but, since the start of last year, have won at a percentage (83%) to compete with even the last great New Zealand team.

Direct Competition

During the same period, the 'Boks have secured victory in five of the recent encounters between the teams, featuring triumph in the recent championship match.

In claiming their current regional title, South Africa delivered a historic loss on the New Zealand team through dominant performance in their home ground, a outcome which has ignited another wave of controversy about the progress of the side under their leader.

Possibly most troubling for supporters of the All Blacks will be that, combined with their traditional strength, the Springboks' 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 zenith of their capabilities in previous eras, they were a ruthless counter-attacking unit equipped of destroying rivals from every section of the field and at all times of the game.

Today, their attacking style is unclear as the coach, who has handed out 19 debuts during his 24 months in control, tries to initially build the more prosaic foundations of a winning team.

It has recently revealed that the backroom staff member overseeing scoring, their offensive coordinator, will leave his role after the upcoming matches, making him the next individual of management team to exit after previous staff member walked away last year after just five Tests.

Performance Gap

It was not only Robertson's success, but his methodology, that was predicted to translate from his former team when he took over after the global competition but, to date, both remain a work in progress.

Commercial Considerations

Following investment group investors bought a stake in New Zealand rugby in recent years, the subsequent announcement mentioned the "quest of new global opportunities" for the organization.

That goal has perhaps been more challenging by the shortage of a global icon. Ardie Savea and the group of family members remain recognizable personalities in the game, but the distribution of stars has never been spread wider. The captain is the sole All Black to earn World Player of the Year in the recent years, in opposition to 10 in multiple seasons between previous generations.

Global Expansion

Instead, attempts have been undertaken to transplant the All Blacks into previously untapped markets.

The first leg of this 'Grand Slam' tour brings the All Blacks not to the Irish capital but Chicago, a comeback to the stadium where the Irish team obtained a first ever victory in the contest in previous seasons.

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