Pursuing what would be just a fifth northern hemisphere clean sweep in their storied history, the All Blacks have traveled to Europe at an interesting juncture.
Matches against Ireland, Scotland, England and Wales await Scott Robertson's side across the next four weekends but, in addition to the possibility to join the sides of previous successful tours in the annals of rugby, the matches will be used as a benchmark to evaluate the progress of the squad under a leader now well established from assuming control.
Questions over a absence of an clear playing identity, continuing controversies over player choices and leavings from the backroom staff have all added to the perception that the best-known side in the sport is presently one in a state of flux.
Most importantly, it is the dip in outcomes from a historic high watermark set between the global tournaments of 2011 and 2019 that has led some to suggest that we have moved out of the period of Kiwi superiority.
Ahead of their travel for the northern hemisphere, it was confirmed that in the coming year, in the absence of the Rugby Championship, the All Blacks will face South Africa in a warm-weather tour dubbed 'a unique competition'.
Traditionally the rugby's premier teams, there is little doubt over who has lately dominated of what marketers have described 'Rugby's Greatest Rivalry'.
In recent seasons, the South African team have won a couple of World Cups, three Rugby Championships and a competition against the British and Irish Lions to be regarded as the squad of their period.
The All Blacks have maintained to overcome the Irish team when it matters most, beating this weekend's rivals in the global competition of recent years. They have, at the same time, lost just two of the past 21 meetings with England, have beaten Wales in each game since 1963 and have remained unbeaten by Scotland.
But the diminishment of their status as the game's gold standard will remain frustrating.
Although the All Blacks excelled through the previous decade - winning 87% of their Test matches, as well as lifting the World Cup on two occasions - the World Cup of the previous competition can now be viewed as when the hierarchical structure changed in the world sport.
The All Blacks beat the Springboks in their first game of the championship in Japan, but it was the South Africans who were eventually successful in Yokohama.
From that point, the All Blacks' success rate has declined to seventy-one percent. South Africa themselves were defeated in 10 of their next 26 Test matches but, commencing of 2023, have achieved victory at a percentage (83%) to compete with even the former Kiwi champions.
Over the equivalent timeframe, the 'Boks have secured victory in five of the recent encounters between the opponents, including triumph in the latest global tournament decider.
During their pursuit of their current continental championship, the Springboks inflicted a significant beating on the All Blacks courtesy of dominant performance in the capital, a score which has triggered another round of controversy regarding the development of the side under the coach.
Possibly most troubling for fans of the All Blacks will be that, alongside their characteristic physicality, the Springboks' success has come with an attacking verve more typically linked with their traditional rivals.
At the time that the New Zealand team were at the peak of their abilities in previous eras, they were a clinical transition team capable of destroying rivals from any part of the field and at any point of the contest.
Today, their playing philosophy is more ambiguous as Robertson, who has given numerous first caps during his recent tenure in command, tries to first establish the fundamental core elements of a successful side.
It has previously announced that the assistant coach in charge of offense, their offensive coordinator, will exit the team after the autumn tour, making him the next individual of management team to exit after another coach departed last year after just a handful of games.
It was not only Robertson's success, but his style, that was predicted to carry over from Crusaders when he took over after the 2023 World Cup but, so far, each are still a continuous improvement.
When private equity firm investors invested capital in All Blacks in recent years, the subsequent announcement mentioned the "pursuit of international expansion" for the brand.
That objective has maybe been harder by the shortage of a international celebrity. Their key player and the collection of family members remain recognizable personalities in the rugby, but the distribution of stars has become more diverse. Savea is the only All Black to receive World Player of the Year in the current era, in comparison to ten awards in multiple seasons between previous generations.
Instead, initiatives have been undertaken to transplant the New Zealand team into new territories.
The opening phase of this 'Grand Slam' tour brings the All Blacks not to the Irish capital but Chicago, a comeback to the Soldier Field venue where Ireland secured a historic win in the contest during past tours.
Following the easing of pandemic limitations, the All Blacks have additionally
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