There was a wry smile from Wales captain Alun Wyn Jones this week when 1953 was inevitably brought up during the pre-match build-up.

Not many people are giving depleted Wales a hope of breaking that losing hoodoo this weekend when the 2021 All Blacks arrive in Cardiff.

There have been 31 successive Welsh defeats, including 16 at home. Of those losses, 25 were by 10 points or more and the closest Wales have come to a win was when they suffered a 26-25 reversal in 2004 and a 13-12 defeat in 1978.

Head coach Wayne Pivac will face his native New Zealand for the first time as Wales coach after taking over from fellow Kiwi Warren Gatland in 2019.

"Everyone looks at history as you can pull out stats like it being 68 years of defeat," said Pivac.

"History speaks volumes - they're a very good rugby nation and have proved that time and again."

The match will allow Wales to play in front of a capacity crowd again, something they have not done since facing France in February 2020.

The Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) has declared the game a 74,500 sell-out with the tickets going to the clubs and it remains to be seen whether that allocation is sold.

The home fans present will be hoping they witness some history.

The match

You might think having the draw of the All Blacks coming to Cardiff for the first time in four years would be overwhelmingly welcomed by Wales fans.

But the concerns raised are based on the game being staged outside World Rugby's international window.

English clubs do not have to release their players and there is no agreement with the WRU. It has led former Wales centre Tom Shanklin to tell the BBC that fans will feel "short-changed", with key Wales players unavailable.

This concept is nothing new. The 'fourth international' is organised every year to raise revenue and the projected £4m profit the WRU will achieve from this fixture is important after the losses of last year incurred during these Covid-19 times.

New Zealand coach Ian Foster appeared irritated when asked about the fixture's magnitude, while Pivac says he understands why the match has been arranged.

"Sometimes in rugby, you have to look at it and say the game is bigger than just one particular match," said Pivac.

"It's about looking after the game in general. Looking at the finances in this country, without this fixture we'd be in big trouble. In terms of the rugby, it's a massive challenge. We love a challenge.

"The timing of the game, the people available is irrelevant to us. It's an opportunity to go out there and put on a good performance - 75,000 people have been starved of this, so we've got a job to do to make it a great occasion.

"It's a great fixture, we want to go out and prove people wrong. It's as simple as that."

The result

The outcome of the game seems to be a foregone conclusion if you listen to almost every judge. Wales might be Six Nations champions but they are missing 20 players due to a lengthy injury list and the unavailability of those players at English clubs.

Most of the pre-match discussion surrounding Wales has been who is not there, as opposed to who is playing.

British and Irish Lions hooker Ken Owens pulling out of the starting side less than half an hour after the team was named appeared to be the final straw.

Owens joined a casualty list including George North, Ellis Jenkins, Leigh Halfpenny, Josh Navidi, Justin Tipuric, Dan Lydiate and Liam Williams, with Willis Halaholo also ruled out through Covid-19.

Wales already do not have access to their English-based club players Dan Biggar, Taulupe Faletau, Nick Tompkins, Louis Rees-Zammit, Callum Sheedy, Thomas Young and Christ Tshiunza.

In contrast, an almost full-strength New Zealand arrive in Wales having recently won the Rugby Championship, ranked second in the world and having scored 104 points against USA last weekend.

So Wales defeating New Zealand on this occasion would add up to one of the great sporting upsets.

"We see it in sport all the time, I could rattle off upsets here," said Pivac.

"James 'Buster' Douglas and Mike Tyson. Every now and then, you get a massive upset. We're not looking at it like that.

"We're going to enjoy the occasion because it's every Welsh boy's dream to play against New Zealand in front of 75,000. The guys I'm talking to in camp the last few days, the opponent they'd pick is New Zealand.

"It's a great fixture for our guys and everyone is looking forward to it. It's been a difficult build-up but challenges bring out the best of people and hopefully that will happen on the weekend."

The milestones

Yet another accolade beckons for Wales captain Alun Wyn Jones. The Ospreys lock wins his 149th Wales cap to overtake former New Zealand skipper Richie McCaw's total for one country.

There is also the little matter of his 12 Tests for the British and Irish Lions which already make Jones the world record international appearance holder.

"Last season, we kept saying a lot about him because he keeps achieving milestones," added Pivac.

"The biggest thing I'd say with Al is the sacrifice he makes and the professionalism he brings to each training session and recovery protocols he goes through.

"He's the ultimate professional and a great role model for others in the group. It's fantastic he's going to go one more than Richie McCaw.

"Typically for Al, it's not about him but the team coming together and having a great performance."

In the All Blacks camp, fly-half Beauden Barrett becomes New Zealand's 11th rugby union Test centurion.

He will reach the 100-cap landmark nine years after his international debut and he remains a match-winner of the highest class.

Barrett, world player of the year in 2016 and 2017, is closing in on 700 Test points and amid a stunning array of All Blacks talent on show this weekend, including his brother Jordie, continues to shine among the brightest.

The comeback

Barrett and Gareth Anscombe were in the same New Zealand Under-20 side that beat Wales 92-0 in the 2011 Junior World Championship.

Fly-half that day was Anscombe, with Barrett at full-back. This weekend they will line up in the respective 10 jerseys for Wales and New Zealand.

Anscombe, who was born in New Zealand and qualifies for Wales via his mother, chose the senior red jersey and made his international debut in 2015 and has won 27 caps.

He suffered a major knee injury during the World Cup warm-up game against England in August 2019 which ruled him out for 25 months.

Anscombe returned to action last month and has started three Ospreys matches in the United Rugby Championship.

With Biggar and Sheedy unavailable, Anscombe will complete a fairytale comeback to start against the land of his birth for the first time, with only a previous replacement appearance against the All Blacks in 2016.

His problem is New Zealand are not known for indulging opposition fairytales.

The line-ups:

Wales: Johnny McNicholl; Owen Lane, Jonathan Davies, Johnny Williams, Josh Adams; Gareth Anscombe, Tomos Williams; Wyn Jones, Ryan Elias, Tomas Francis, Adam Beard, Alun Wyn Jones (capt), Ross Moriarty, Taine Basham, Aaron Wainwright.

Replacements: Kirby Myhill, Rhys Carre, Dillon Lewis, Will Rowlands, Seb Davies, Gareth Davies, Rhys Priestland, Ben Thomas.

New Zealand: Jordie Barrett; Will Jordan, Anton Lienert-Brown, David Havili, Rieko Ioane; Beauden Barrett, TJ Perenara; Joe Moody, Codie Taylor, Nepo Laulala, Brodie Retallick, Samuel Whitelock (capt), Ethan Blackadder, Dalton Papalii, Ardie Savea.

Replacements: Samisoni Taukei'aho, Karl Tu'inukuafe, Tyrel Lomax, Tupou Vaa'i, Akira Ioane, Brad Weber, Richie Mo'unga, Sevu Reece.

Referee: Mathieu Raynal (France)

Assistant Referees: Karl Dickson (England), Christophe Ridley (England)

TMO: Brian MacNeice (Ireland)