True to its position as the top rugby playing nation in the world, New Zealand managed to thwart off all attempts by Ireland for 111 years before losing for the first time in 29 matches in Chicago in November last year.
Of the five major teams in the Northern Hemisphere, only Scotland has failed to win in all of 31 matches also dating back 111 years although they were just one pass away from maybe clinching that historic win last weekend.
Wales has done better than these two but not by much, although it did win the first game in Cardiff in 1905 in controversial circumstances.
The Welsh went on to win another two times but the last of these was on December 19, 1953. That means a losing streak stretching close to 64 years and 29 matches.
On two occasions – in November 1978 and then November of 2004 – Wales lost by only one point but otherwise the scores have been in favour of the All Blacks rather comfortably.
It is generally agreed that it’s never easy to overcome Wales in Cardiff but 16 of the defeats against the All Blacks since 1905 were at home, all in Cardiff save for one in Swansea. Two were at neutral venues during the World Cup.
At what was previously the Cardiff Arms Park that was torn down to be replaced by the existing stadium, stories abound as to how some opponents became so emotionally affected by the singing from the home crowd. In the 1960s a couple of Maori players in the All Blacks were so deeply affected, were in tears and were in no state to lead the pre-game haka!
But the win by Ireland last year, the drawn series by the touring Lions mid-year and last weekend’s close encounter in Murrayfield have given renewed hope to Wales, coached by Kiwi Warren Gatland since December 2007.
Coincidentally Wales was also coached by current All Blacks coach Steve Hansen from 2002 to 2004 in what wasn’t exactly a highly successful tenure.
The team named by Gatland for Saturday will be missing a few first-choice players in the backline due to injuries but the pack is the same one that played against Australia two weeks ago. Twelve of the starters against the Wallabies are included and five of the matchday 23 played in the Lions three-match Test series against the All Blacks.
As is widely known by now, the All Blacks haven’t had an outstanding and consistent 2017 but after all the criticisms and scepticisms, will want to play much better, especially this being their last Test for the year.
They will however be missing captain and No. 8 Kieran Read because of injury and will be led for the first time by senior lock Sam Whitelock. Read’s place goes to the younger Luke Whitelock for his second cap.
England takes on Samoa while dropping the idea of contributing money to their opponents to prevent being accused of bribery.
The Argentinians should not bother the Irish too much in Dublin but two other Southern Hemisphere teams need to do much better if they are to win over their detractors.
After losing tamely to England, the Wallabies face a Scotland buoyed by their outstanding performance last weekend against the All Blacks and the visitors haven’t been having it easy against the Scots in recent years.
In Italy the Springboks have the chance to avenge last year’s first ever defeat to the Italians in 13 matches, in Florence, but although they bounced back from an embarrassing thumping by Ireland to hold on late in the game to beat France by a point, that win in a lacklustre game not surprisingly did not appease the many critics of the team back at home.
Elsewhere this weekend France hosts Japan and should win this one. Similarly Ireland should not find Argentina too much of a problem.