Pursuing what would be just a fifth 'Grand Slam' in their illustrious legacy, the New Zealand side have headed north at an crucial period.
Fixtures against the Irish team, Scotland, England and the Welsh team await the New Zealand team across the next four weekends but, beyond the possibility to join the teams of 1978, 2005, 2008 and 2010 in the record books, the matches will be used as a yardstick to assess the development of the squad under a head coach now 24 months into from taking up the reins.
Team Issues
Questions over a absence of an identifiable style, enduring debates over selection and leavings from the coaching ticket have all added to the perception that the best-known side in the rugby is presently one in a state of flux.
Most significantly, it is the decline in outcomes from a previous peak set between the World Cups of the last decade that has caused some to speculate that we have evolved beyond of the age of All Black exceptionalism.
Past Performance
Ahead of their departure for the northern hemisphere, it was announced that during the following season, in the non-existence of the Rugby Championship, the All Blacks will meet South Africa in a warm-weather tour termed 'an unprecedented series'.
Historically the game's two strongest sides, there is little doubt over who has currently outperformed of what promoters have called 'Rugby's Greatest Rivalry'.
During the last decade, the South African team have claimed a two of global tournaments, three Rugby Championships and a series against the British and Irish Lions to be considered as the squad of their generation.
The All Blacks have persisted to beat Ireland when it counts most, beating Saturday's opponents in the World Cup quarter finals of the past two tournaments. They have, at the same time, lost just two of the past 21 meetings with England, have overcome Wales in every encounter since over sixty years ago and have always been victorious by Scotland.
Changing Dynamics
But the decline of their position as the game's gold standard will continue to rankle.
Although the New Zealand team dominated through the previous decade - securing eighty-seven percent of their international games, as well as winning the World Cup on two occasions - the World Cup of 2019 can now be viewed as when the hierarchical structure shifted in the world sport.
The All Blacks defeated South Africa in their opening match of the tournament in the host nation, but it was the Boks' who were eventually successful in Yokohama.
Since then, the New Zealand's victory ratio has dropped to seventy-one percent. The Springboks themselves were defeated in ten of their subsequent fixtures but, since the start of last year, have achieved victory at a rate (83%) to compete with even the last great New Zealand team.
Head-to-Head
Over the same period, the South African team have secured victory in the majority of the recent encounters between the opponents, featuring triumph in the 2023 World Cup final.
In claiming their most recent regional title, South Africa inflicted a significant beating on the New Zealand team courtesy of dominant performance in their home ground, a outcome which has sparked another series of debate about the progress of the squad under the coach.
Perhaps most troubling for supporters of the All Blacks will be that, allied to their traditional strength, South Africa's success has come with an creative approach more typically linked with their own side.
Team Identity
When the New Zealand team were at the height of their capabilities in previous eras, they were a clinical transition team capable of dismantling competitors from every section of the field and at any point of the contest.
Today, their attacking style is unclear as Robertson, who has given 19 debuts during his two years in charge, tries to primarily create the basic core elements of a winning team.
It has recently revealed that the assistant coach responsible for offense, Jason Holland, will exit the team after the upcoming matches, making him the second member of the coaching staff to exit after another coach walked away last year after just a handful of games.
Team Development
It was not just Robertson's success, but his approach, that was anticipated to translate from Crusaders when he took over after the recent tournament but, as yet, each continue to be a work in progress.
Organizational Strategy
After investment group investors acquired shares in New Zealand rugby in recent years, the following communication mentioned the "search of worldwide growth" for the organization.
That task has perhaps been more difficult by the shortage of a crossover star. The current captain and the collection of related players remain household names in the sport, but the spread of talented players has never been spread wider. Savea is the only New Zealand player to earn global recognition in the past six seasons, in contrast to ten awards in over a decade between 2005 and '07.
Global Expansion
Alternatively, initiatives have been implemented to introduce the New Zealand team into emerging regions.
The first leg of this European campaign brings the All Blacks not to the Irish capital but the American city, a comeback to the stadium where the Irish team achieved a historic win in the match in previous seasons.
Following the reduction of pandemic limitations, the All Blacks have also
