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Pursuing what would be just a fifth tour victory in their illustrious legacy, the New Zealand side have traveled to Europe at an crucial period.

Matches against Ireland, Scotland, England and the Welsh team await the New Zealand team across the coming month but, quite aside from the opportunity to match the teams of previous successful tours in the annals of rugby, the fixtures will be used as a yardstick to evaluate the progress of the squad under a leader now two years on from taking up the reins.

Present Difficulties

Concerns over a absence of an distinctive approach, enduring debates over team picks and departures from the management team have all added to the perception that the best-known side in the game is presently one in a state of flux.

Most significantly, it is the decline in results from a past excellence set between the World Cups of 2011 and 2019 that has prompted some to speculate that we have evolved beyond of the era of Kiwi superiority.

Recent History

Prior to their journey for the European tour, it was confirmed that next year, in the lack of the southern hemisphere competition, New Zealand will meet South Africa in a summer series termed 'a tour like no other'.

In the past the sport's top competitors, there is no question over who has recently got the better of what marketers have labeled 'Rugby's Greatest Rivalry'.

During the last decade, the Springboks have secured a couple of global tournaments, three Rugby Championships and a series against the home nations team to be considered as the squad of their period.

The All Blacks have maintained to defeat the Irish team when it counts most, beating Saturday's opponents in the global competition of the past two tournaments. They have, additionally, been defeated in just a pair of the recent encounters with the English team, have defeated the Welsh side in each game since over sixty years ago and have never suffered defeat by the Scottish team.

Shifting Balance

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

While the New Zealand team excelled through the 2010s - securing eighty-seven percent of their international games, as well as claiming the World Cup on several instances - the World Cup of 2019 can now be seen as when the balance of power shifted in the international rugby.

New Zealand beat South Africa in their first game of the competition in Japan, but it was the South Africans who were finally victorious in the final.

After that event, the All Blacks' success rate has fallen to 71%. The Springboks themselves were defeated in ten of their next 26 Test matches but, from the beginning of 2023, have won at a rate (eighty-three percent) to compete with even the previous All Blacks side.

Direct Competition

Throughout the same period, the 'Boks have secured victory in five of the seven meetings between the opponents, featuring success in the recent championship match.

While securing their most recent southern hemisphere crown, Rassie Erasmus' side administered a record 43-10 defeat on the All Blacks courtesy of dominant performance in the capital, a result which has triggered another wave of discussion concerning the progress of the side under Robertson.

Maybe most concerning for followers of the All Blacks will be that, alongside their usual power, the Springboks' triumph has come with an offensive flair more typically linked with their opposition team.

Playing Philosophy

At the time that the All Blacks were at the height of their powers 10 years ago, they were a ruthless counter-attacking unit capable of dismantling rivals from any part of the playing surface and at all times of the match.

Now, their playing philosophy is less defined as Robertson, who has given numerous first caps during his recent tenure in control, tries to primarily create the more prosaic foundations of a successful side.

It has previously announced that the assistant coach responsible for scoring, the current coach, will depart his position after the autumn tour, making him the additional person of the coaching staff to exit after Leon MacDonald left last year after just limited matches.

Team Development

It was not only his winning record, but his methodology, that was expected to transfer from his former team when he began his tenure after the recent tournament but, to date, both remain a ongoing development.

Business Factors

When private equity firm investors invested capital in New Zealand rugby in the past, the subsequent announcement discussed the "quest of new global opportunities" for the team.

That objective has possibly been harder by the lack of a crossover star. Their key player and the collection of Barrett brothers continue to be household names in the rugby, but the distribution of stars has expanded significantly. Their leader is the single New Zealand player to receive World Player of the Year in the recent years, in comparison to 10 in 13 years between previous generations.

Global Expansion

Alternatively, initiatives have been made to introduce the New Zealand team into new territories.

The initial stage of this European campaign brings the All Blacks not to Dublin but the American city, a comeback to the stadium where Ireland achieved a first ever victory in the contest nine years ago.

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