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Aiming for what would be just a fifth tour victory in their legendary past, the New Zealand side have embarked on their tour at an pivotal moment.

Games against the Irish team, the Scottish side, England and Wales await Scott Robertson's side across the upcoming weeks but, in addition to the chance to join the teams of 1978, 2005, 2008 and 2010 in the annals of rugby, the fixtures will be used as a yardstick to measure the development of the side under a head coach now well established from taking up the reins.

Current Challenges

Concerns over a lack of an identifiable style, ongoing discussions over selection and departures from the backroom staff have all added to the feeling that the most recognisable team in the sport is currently one in a time of change.

Most pertinently, it is the dip in outcomes from a past excellence set between the World Cups of 2011 and 2019 that has prompted some to theorize that we have evolved beyond of the period of All Black exceptionalism.

Recent History

Ahead of their journey for the northern hemisphere, it was confirmed that next year, in the lack of the southern hemisphere competition, New Zealand will meet the Springboks in a warm-weather tour dubbed 'an unprecedented series'.

Historically the sport's top competitors, there is no question over who has currently outperformed of what marketers have called 'The Premier Rivalry'.

During the last decade, the South African team have claimed a couple of World Cups, three southern hemisphere titles and a series against the British and Irish Lions to be considered as the side of their period.

New Zealand have maintained to overcome the Irish team when it counts most, beating this weekend's rivals in the global competition of the past two tournaments. They have, meanwhile, lost just a pair of the last fixtures with England, have beaten Wales in every encounter since over sixty years ago and have always been victorious by Scotland.

Shifting Balance

But the decline of their position as the game's gold standard will remain frustrating.

While the All Blacks excelled through the 2010s - securing eighty-seven percent of their Test matches, as well as winning the Webb Ellis on several instances - the global tournament of the previous competition can now be regarded as when the competitive landscape moved in the international rugby.

New Zealand defeated South Africa in their opening match of the tournament in the host nation, but it was the South Africans who were finally victorious in the final.

Since then, the All Blacks' victory ratio has declined to seventy-one percent. The Springboks themselves were defeated in 10 of their following games but, from the beginning of 2023, have won at a rate (eighty-three percent) to compete with even the previous All Blacks side.

Head-to-Head

During the comparable duration, the 'Boks have won the majority of the recent encounters between the teams, featuring success in the recent championship match.

While securing their most recent southern hemisphere crown, Rassie Erasmus' side inflicted a record 43-10 defeat on the New Zealand team through overwhelming display in Wellington, a score which has triggered another round of controversy about the direction of the squad under the coach.

Perhaps most jarring for followers of the All Blacks will be that, alongside their traditional strength, the Springboks' triumph has come with an attacking verve more typically linked with their own side.

Style Evolution

When the All Blacks were at the zenith of their powers in previous eras, they were a ruthless counter-attacking unit capable of shredding rivals from any part of the playing surface and at any point of the match.

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

It has previously announced that the assistant coach responsible for offense, the current coach, will leave his role after the upcoming matches, making him the additional person of Robertson's ticket to depart after another coach walked away last year after just limited matches.

Performance Gap

It was not just his winning record, but his style, that was predicted to translate from Crusaders when he took over after the global competition but, as yet, the two aspects are still a continuous improvement.

Commercial Considerations

After investment group the company acquired shares in All Blacks in recent years, the following communication discussed the "search of new global opportunities" for the organization.

That objective has maybe been more difficult by the shortage of a crossover star. Ardie Savea and the collection of related players are still well-known figures in the rugby, but the concentration of key individuals has become more diverse. The captain is the sole New Zealand player to receive international honors in the past six seasons, in contrast to 10 in multiple seasons between the mid-2000s.

Global Expansion

Rather, efforts have been made to introduce the New Zealand team into new territories.

The first leg of this European campaign brings New Zealand not to Dublin but the American city, a return to the stadium where Ireland achieved a first ever victory in the contest during past tours.

Since the relaxation of health protocols, the New Zealand team have additionally