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Pursuing what would be just a fifth northern hemisphere clean sweep in their illustrious legacy, the All Blacks have embarked on their tour at an interesting juncture.

Matches against Ireland, the Scottish side, the English squad and the Welsh team await the All Blacks across the next four weekends but, quite aside from the opportunity to equal the teams of 1978, 2005, 2008 and 2010 in the annals of rugby, the matches will be used as a measure to assess the progress of the squad under a head coach now 24 months into from beginning his tenure.

Present Difficulties

Questions over a lack of an clear playing identity, enduring debates over selection and leavings from the backroom staff have all added to the perception that the best-known side in the rugby is presently one in a period of transition.

Most importantly, 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 moved out of the age of All Black exceptionalism.

Recent History

Prior to their departure for the European tour, it was confirmed that during the following season, in the lack of the Rugby Championship, New Zealand will face South Africa in a warm-weather tour dubbed 'a tour like no other'.

Historically the sport's top competitors, there is clear agreement over who has lately dominated of what marketers have labeled 'The Premier Rivalry'.

Over the past seven years, the South African team have secured a couple of global tournaments, three Rugby Championships and a series against the home nations team to be viewed as the side of their generation.

New Zealand have continued to overcome Ireland when it counts most, beating their next challengers in the World Cup quarter finals of 2019 and '23. They have, meanwhile, been defeated in just a pair of the recent encounters with England, have beaten the Welsh side in every encounter since 1963 and have always been victorious by Scotland.

Shifting Balance

But the diminishment of their status as the sport's measure of excellence will remain frustrating.

Although the All Blacks dominated through the previous decade - achieving 87% of their international games, as well as claiming the World Cup on two occasions - the World Cup of the previous competition can now be seen as when the balance of power shifted in the international rugby.

New Zealand overcame the Springboks in their initial fixture of the tournament in Japan, but it was the Boks' who were ultimately triumphant in the championship match.

Since then, the New Zealand's victory ratio has fallen to seventy-one percent. South Africa themselves lost 10 of their following games but, commencing of 2023, have achieved victory at a frequency (83%) to compete with even the former Kiwi champions.

Head-to-Head

Throughout the equivalent timeframe, the South African team have won five of the seven meetings between the sides, including victory in the 2023 World Cup final.

In claiming their current regional title, the Springboks delivered a historic loss on the New Zealand team through dominant performance in the capital, a result which has sparked another wave of discussion concerning the development of the squad under Robertson.

Maybe most jarring for followers of the All Blacks will be that, combined with their usual power, South Africa's achievement has come with an offensive flair more usually associated with their own side.

Style Evolution

At the time that the All Blacks were at the zenith of their capabilities 10 years ago, they were a clinical transition team capable of dismantling opponents from all areas of the pitch and at any moment of the game.

Now, their attacking style is less defined as their leader, who has handed out multiple new players during his two years in command, tries to primarily create the fundamental building blocks of a successful side.

It has recently revealed that the assistant coach overseeing offense, the current coach, will leave his role after the upcoming matches, becoming the next individual of the coaching staff to exit after another coach departed last year after just five Tests.

Team Development

It was not merely his winning record, but his methodology, that was predicted to transfer from his former team when he took over after the global competition but, so far, the two aspects are still a continuous improvement.

Commercial Considerations

After financial organization investors acquired shares in All Blacks in recent years, the ensuing statement mentioned the "search of new global opportunities" for the brand.

That goal has maybe been more challenging by the lack of a global icon. Their key player and the collection of related players remain recognizable personalities in the rugby, but the concentration of key individuals has expanded significantly. The captain is the sole New Zealand player to earn international honors in the past six seasons, in contrast to ten awards in over a decade between previous generations.

Worldwide Reach

Instead, initiatives have been undertaken to establish the New Zealand team into emerging regions.

The initial stage of this European campaign brings New Zealand not to Dublin but the American city, a comeback to the location where Ireland secured a historic win in the match in previous seasons.

Following the reduction of health protocols, the All Blacks have furthermore