Like every team at every level Wales will strain every sinew in this test match. But I now see Wales as I do Samoa, Tonga, Japan, that being a tier 2 team that can pose threats at times throughout test matches, but ultimately will not be strong enough to live with the top 1-8 in the world.
This is no shame, personally international sides ranked 7th-13th and a couple just outside of that are getting more competitive and that bodes well for the game more widely (especially if more sides continue to develop and push into the top 6, as say Fiji May do if they continue to move forward as they are).
The All Blacks are in transition themselves (and wouldn't we all give certain body parts to be in transition and still sit 2nd in the world). But they need to show the other big hitters in SA, England, France and to an extent Ireland that they are going nowhere, and also to a expectant New Zealand rugby public that -although respectfully- they can take teams like Wales to the cleaners.
I am certain Wales will pose questions in this test match for the ABs to solve, but will this simply be transiently slowing down their scoring?