Wales face the All Blacks in Cardiff on Saturday, still without a win over a Southern Hemisphere opponent since 2008 and winless against New Zealand since 1953, per ESPNScrum.com.
Warren Gatland’s side struggled to beat Fiji in their second Test of the autumn, going down on the opening weekend of their programme to Australia.
No one expects the Welsh to upset the odds against the World Champions, who have so far done little more than the necessary to beat England and Scotland and had a good look at most of their squad in the process.
Wales are looking, on paper at least, much more like a first-choice line-up, with the return of Leigh Halfpenny and Richard Hibbard at full-back and hooker, respectively, while George North reverts to the left wing as Jamie Roberts and Jonathan Davies reunite in midfield.
On their best form, these five Lions can propel Wales to a level of performance that would threaten New Zealand. But we haven’t seen that quality—probably since they last sported the Lions badge on their jerseys.
Now would be the ideal time to recapture that sort of form.
Here are the key battles.