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

Matches against the Irish team, the Scottish side, England and Wales await the New Zealand team across the upcoming weeks but, in addition to the possibility to match the teams of previous successful tours in the annals of rugby, the fixtures will be used as a yardstick to measure the progress of the side under a head coach now 24 months into from assuming control.

Team Issues

Concerns over a absence of an distinctive approach, continuing controversies over selection and leavings from the backroom staff have all added to the sense that the best-known side in the game is currently one in a period of transition.

Most importantly, it is the drop in performances from a past excellence set between the global tournaments of 2011 and 2019 that has caused some to speculate that we have moved out of the period of Kiwi superiority.

Recent History

Ahead of their journey for the European tour, it was announced that during the following season, in the non-existence of the Rugby Championship, New Zealand will face South Africa in a off-season matches called 'a unique competition'.

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

Over the past seven years, the Springboks have claimed a two of World Cups, three Rugby Championships and a competition against the British and Irish Lions to be regarded as the team of their period.

The All Blacks have maintained to beat Ireland when it counts most, defeating Saturday's opponents in the global competition of the past two tournaments. They have, meanwhile, been defeated in just two of the last fixtures with the English team, have overcome Wales in each game since over sixty years ago and have always been victorious by the Scottish team.

Changing Dynamics

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

While the All Blacks excelled through the 2010s - achieving 87% of their international games, as well as winning the World Cup on two occasions - the World Cup of the previous competition can now be regarded as when the balance of power changed in the international rugby.

New Zealand beat South Africa in their initial fixture of the tournament in Japan, but it was the Boks' who were eventually successful in Yokohama.

Since then, the New Zealand's success rate has declined to seventy-one percent. The Springboks themselves lost ten of their next 26 Test matches but, commencing of last year, have achieved victory at a rate (eighty-three percent) to match even the last great New Zealand team.

Head-to-Head

Over the same period, the 'Boks have secured victory in five of the seven meetings between the sides, including victory in the latest global tournament decider.

During their pursuit of their latest continental championship, Rassie Erasmus' side administered a record 43-10 defeat on the All Blacks thanks to 36 unanswered second-half points in Wellington, a result which has triggered another wave of controversy regarding the development of the squad under Robertson.

Maybe most concerning for followers of the New Zealand team will be that, alongside their usual power, South Africa's achievement has come with an creative approach more typically linked with their own side.

Team Identity

When the New Zealand team were at the zenith of their abilities in previous eras, they were a devastating offensive machine capable of shredding rivals from every section of the playing surface and at any moment of the match.

Now, their attacking style is less defined as their leader, who has given multiple new players during his recent tenure in control, tries to first establish the more prosaic building blocks of a successful side.

It has previously announced that the backroom staff member in charge of attack, Jason Holland, will leave his role after the upcoming matches, making him the additional person of the coaching staff to depart after previous staff member walked away last year after just five Tests.

Team Development

It was not merely previous achievements, but his approach, that was expected to carry over from previous club when he assumed control after the recent tournament but, as yet, the two aspects are still a ongoing development.

Organizational Strategy

When financial organization Silver Lake invested capital in New Zealand rugby in the past, the ensuing statement mentioned the "search of international expansion" for the brand.

That goal has possibly been more difficult by the shortage of a crossover star. Ardie Savea and the collection of related players continue to be household names in the game, but the distribution of stars has expanded significantly. The captain is the single New Zealand player to receive global recognition in the past six seasons, in contrast to ten awards in over a decade between the mid-2000s.

Worldwide Reach

Alternatively, attempts have been undertaken to introduce the New Zealand team into emerging regions.

The initial stage of this northern hemisphere series brings New Zealand not to the Irish capital but Chicago, a revisit to the Soldier Field venue where the Irish team achieved a landmark success in the contest in previous seasons.

Following the relaxation of pandemic limitations, the New Zealand team have also