Pursuing what would be just a fifth 'Grand Slam' in their legendary past, the All Blacks have traveled to Europe at an crucial period.
Games against Ireland, the Scottish side, the English squad and Wales await Scott Robertson's side across the upcoming weeks but, beyond the chance to match the teams of 1978, 2005, 2008 and 2010 in the history books, the matches will be used as a yardstick to evaluate the progress of the squad under a leader now 24 months into from beginning his tenure.
Questions over a shortage of an clear playing identity, continuing controversies over selection and exits from the backroom staff have all contributed to the sense that the best-known side in the sport is now one in a time of change.
Most significantly, it is the drop in outcomes from a previous peak set between the World Cups of the last decade that has led some to suggest that we have transitioned away of the era of Kiwi superiority.
Ahead of their journey for the fall series, it was confirmed that in the coming year, in the lack of the Rugby Championship, the All Blacks will face South Africa in a summer series dubbed 'a tour like no other'.
Traditionally the game's two strongest sides, there is clear agreement over who has currently outperformed of what organizers have labeled 'The Premier Rivalry'.
Over the past seven years, the Springboks have secured a pair of World Cups, three southern hemisphere titles and a competition against the British and Irish Lions to be considered as the team of their generation.
The All Blacks have persisted to beat Ireland when it counts most, beating Saturday's opponents in the tournament knockout stages of 2019 and '23. They have, at the same time, lost just two of the recent encounters with England, have defeated Wales in every encounter since over sixty years ago and have always been victorious by Scotland.
But the decline of their position as the sport's measure of excellence will continue to rankle.
Whereas the New Zealand team reigned supreme through the previous decade - winning eighty-seven percent of their Test matches, as well as lifting the global trophy on multiple times - the global tournament of the previous competition can now be regarded as when the competitive landscape shifted in the world sport.
The All Blacks overcame the Springboks in their opening match of the championship in Japan, but it was the South Africans who were eventually successful in Yokohama.
From that point, the New Zealand's victory ratio has declined to 71%. South Africa themselves were defeated in 10 of their subsequent fixtures but, since the start of last year, have won at a frequency (83%) to match even the former Kiwi champions.
Throughout the equivalent timeframe, the Springboks have secured victory in the majority of the past fixtures between the sides, featuring success in the 2023 World Cup final.
In claiming their most recent southern hemisphere crown, Rassie Erasmus' side inflicted a record 43-10 defeat on the All Blacks thanks to overwhelming display in Wellington, a score which has ignited another round of debate about the direction of the side under the coach.
Perhaps most jarring for fans of the All Blacks will be that, allied to their characteristic physicality, the Springboks' success has come with an offensive flair more usually associated with their opposition team.
At the time that the All Blacks were at the height of their powers in previous eras, they were a ruthless counter-attacking unit capable of shredding competitors from all areas of the field and at any moment of the game.
Currently, their offensive approach is unclear as Robertson, who has given multiple new players during his 24 months in command, tries to initially build the basic building blocks of a competitive squad.
It has already been confirmed that the supporting manager overseeing scoring, their offensive coordinator, will exit the team after the upcoming matches, becoming the next individual of the coaching staff to depart after another coach walked away last year after just a handful of games.
It was not just his winning record, but his approach, that was anticipated to transfer from his former team when he began his tenure after the 2023 World Cup but, as yet, each are still a ongoing development.
After investment group investors bought a stake in New Zealand rugby in 2022, the following communication spoke of the "search of new global opportunities" for the organization.
That objective has perhaps been more difficult by the absence of a global icon. Ardie Savea and the group of family members continue to be recognizable personalities in the sport, but the concentration of talented players has never been spread wider. The captain is the sole All Black to receive World Player of the Year in the past six seasons, in comparison to ten awards in 13 years between the mid-2000s.
Rather, initiatives have been undertaken to introduce the New Zealand team into previously untapped markets.
The first leg of this 'Grand Slam' tour brings the All Blacks not to the Irish capital but Chicago, a revisit to the location where the Irish team obtained a historic win in the match in previous seasons.
Following the reduction of pandemic limitations, the New Zealand team have additionally
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