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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 interesting juncture.

Fixtures against the Irish team, the Scottish side, England and Wales await Scott Robertson's side across the upcoming weeks but, beyond the opportunity to join the squads of previous successful tours in the record books, the fixtures will be used as a measure to evaluate the progress of the team under a leader now two years on from taking up the reins.

Present Difficulties

Doubts over a absence of an clear playing identity, ongoing discussions over team picks and departures from the backroom staff have all contributed to the sense that the most famous squad in the sport is presently one in a time of change.

Most pertinently, it is the dip in outcomes from a past excellence set between the World Cups of the last decade that has caused some to suggest that we have evolved beyond of the period of New Zealand dominance.

Team Record

Ahead of their departure for the northern hemisphere, it was confirmed that next year, in the non-existence of the Rugby Championship, the All Blacks will meet the Springboks in a summer series called 'a tour like no other'.

Historically the sport's top competitors, there is little doubt over who has lately dominated of what promoters have called 'The Ultimate Contest'.

Over the past seven years, the Springboks have claimed a pair of global tournaments, three southern hemisphere titles and a series against the northern hemisphere selection to be regarded as the squad of their period.

The All Blacks have persisted to beat the Irish team when it counts most, beating Saturday's opponents in the tournament knockout stages of the past two tournaments. They have, at the same time, lost just two of the last fixtures with England, have overcome the Welsh side in all matches since 1963 and have never suffered defeat by Scotland.

Changing Dynamics

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

Although the New Zealand team reigned supreme through the last ten years - securing 87% of their international games, as well as claiming the Webb Ellis on multiple times - the global tournament of 2019 can now be regarded as when the balance of power moved in the international rugby.

New Zealand beat the Springboks in their initial fixture of the championship in the host nation, but it was the Boks' who were ultimately triumphant in the championship match.

After that event, the All Blacks' success rate has fallen to 71%. South Africa themselves were defeated in ten of their next 26 Test matches but, from the beginning of last year, have achieved victory at a percentage (eighty-three percent) to compete with even the former Kiwi champions.

Head-to-Head

Throughout the comparable duration, the Springboks have secured victory in the majority of the past fixtures between the sides, comprising victory in the latest global tournament decider.

While securing their current southern hemisphere crown, Rassie Erasmus' side inflicted a historic loss on the All Blacks through dominant performance in their home ground, a result which has sparked another series of debate concerning the development of the team under their leader.

Maybe most troubling for fans of the New Zealand team will be that, allied to their traditional strength, South Africa's triumph has come with an creative approach more typically linked with their own side.

Playing Philosophy

At the time that the All Blacks were at the zenith of their abilities in previous eras, they were a ruthless counter-attacking unit able of destroying rivals from any part of the pitch and at any moment of the contest.

Today, their offensive approach is more ambiguous as their leader, who has awarded numerous first caps during his two years in control, tries to initially build the fundamental core elements of a winning team.

It has previously announced that the assistant coach in charge of offense, their offensive coordinator, will exit the team after the upcoming matches, becoming the additional person of Robertson's ticket to leave after Leon MacDonald departed last year after just a handful of games.

Expectations vs Reality

It was not just his winning record, but his methodology, that was anticipated to translate from his former team when he assumed control after the 2023 World Cup but, as yet, the two aspects remain a ongoing development.

Organizational Strategy

Following investment group investors invested capital in All Blacks in recent years, the ensuing statement spoke of the "pursuit of worldwide growth" for the team.

That goal has possibly been more challenging by the absence of a global icon. Their key player and the trio of Barrett brothers remain recognizable personalities in the sport, but the spread of key individuals has become more diverse. Savea is the single New Zealand player to win World Player of the Year in the current era, in contrast to ten awards in 13 years between previous generations.

Worldwide Reach

Alternatively, efforts have been undertaken to establish the All Blacks into previously untapped markets.

The first leg of this northern hemisphere series brings the All Blacks not to the Irish capital but the American city, a comeback to the location where Ireland achieved a historic win in the match in previous seasons.

Since the reduction of Covid-19 travel restrictions, the New Zealand team have furthermore