I don't care about the Wales team to face New Zealand on Saturday. It's immaterial to me whether Paul James is a gamble at tight head, that Ian Gough might have been better than Luke Charteris in the second row or that Wales should have gone for an established full back rather than selecting Jack of All Trades, Jack, sorry James, Hook. These changes are neither here nor there.

I care about Wales's self belief. Wales's opponents in Cardiff are not men who wear a black shirt with a silver fern on it. Wales's opponents are those who take the field representing the home side. Wales have no one to fear but themselves.

In general, Wales's players and the country's supporters do not fear another nation. Not the English, the French and the Irish, certainly not the Scots. Wales beat Australia the last time the two teams played and fancy their chances of doing so again at the end of this month. In short Wales give themselves a decent shout against any rugby playing country in the world, even the Springboks.

Except for New Zealand. Beating the men from the Land of the Long White Cloud is another matter. It has been 56 years and 20 games since Wales last beat the All Blacks. Wales have not even drawn with New Zealand in that time. Whether Wales are at home or away, every match since 1953 has had the same result - a W for New Zealand, an L for Wales.

As a result, Wales players have developed "a thing" about the All Blacks. They give their opponents too much respect. Consciously or subconsciously, one Wales team after another has not believed itself capable of outscoring the All Blacks. Even when Wales led 9-6 in the equivalent match last year, you sensed the players didn't think in their heart of hearts they could bring it off in the second half.

Warren Gatland said the All Blacks have suffered enough defeats this year to have lost their aura, the aura they had when he was playing and they went for 50 games without defeat. Stephen Jones talks about the hardening process the Welsh Lions went through on tour in South Africa last summer. Alun Wyn Jones says there is a more positive, less nervous edge about this squad than previous ones.

So all the Wales players have to do is go out there and play as well as we know they can, they know they can and even the New Zealanders know they can. It is going to take self belief and skill in equal measure to do so. The enormous physical effort has to be matched by total mental commitment to the view that the cause is winnable. And then, perhaps, that ridiculous record of 20 successive losses to one country will not become 21.