Wales' hopes of staging a major upset against New Zealand were brutally extinguished as the All Blacks dominated their opponents in a convincing 50-26 victory at the Principality Stadium. The win extended the All Blacks' unbeaten run against Wales to 34 games, dating back to 1953.
New Zealand's physical dominance was evident throughout the match, with the team managing 1,362 meters from 167 carries compared to Wales' 593 from 77. The All Blacks also secured seven tries, with Damian McKenzie adding 17 points to their total.
Wales, on the other hand, struggled with discipline issues, conceding penalties as they transgressed 14 times, compared to four from New Zealand. The team also buckled in the final quarter, with yellow cards for replacement prop Gareth Thomas and number eight Taine Plumtree.
Despite the convincing defeat, Wales coach Lloyd Robertson praised his team's effort, saying "We spoke about not giving up and we didn't and it shows the character in this group." However, he also acknowledged that the All Blacks' power game was too much to handle, stating "Our power game was strong... We're ranked one and two in the world in a lot of areas and one of them is our power game."
Wales will now face the world champions, South Africa, at the Principality Stadium next weekend. The match has been scheduled for financial reasons, but clashes with a weekend of United Rugby Championship (URC) games mean that no other international matches are being staged next weekend.
The loss to New Zealand comes as part of a dismal run for Wales in recent months, with the team shipping 127 points in three November games. However, fans will hope that still exists next Saturday evening after South Africa have had their say.
New Zealand's physical dominance was evident throughout the match, with the team managing 1,362 meters from 167 carries compared to Wales' 593 from 77. The All Blacks also secured seven tries, with Damian McKenzie adding 17 points to their total.
Wales, on the other hand, struggled with discipline issues, conceding penalties as they transgressed 14 times, compared to four from New Zealand. The team also buckled in the final quarter, with yellow cards for replacement prop Gareth Thomas and number eight Taine Plumtree.
Despite the convincing defeat, Wales coach Lloyd Robertson praised his team's effort, saying "We spoke about not giving up and we didn't and it shows the character in this group." However, he also acknowledged that the All Blacks' power game was too much to handle, stating "Our power game was strong... We're ranked one and two in the world in a lot of areas and one of them is our power game."
Wales will now face the world champions, South Africa, at the Principality Stadium next weekend. The match has been scheduled for financial reasons, but clashes with a weekend of United Rugby Championship (URC) games mean that no other international matches are being staged next weekend.
The loss to New Zealand comes as part of a dismal run for Wales in recent months, with the team shipping 127 points in three November games. However, fans will hope that still exists next Saturday evening after South Africa have had their say.
. I mean, New Zealand's physicality was just on another level 
. They dominated every aspect of the game and it's crazy to think they can maintain that level of performance against South Africa next week? 
The fact that Wales got so destroyed despite having some solid moments shows how tough their opponents are going to be for them this season. I'm curious to see how Robbie Schoeman and his team will bounce back from this loss, though 
those penalties are crazy 14 times is a lot! Interesting though how coach Robertson praised the team's effort despite losing, it shows he's trying to keep morale up 
- like what can you even do against a team as dominant as all blacks? they literally ran over them on the pitch lol 
594 meters vs 167 carries tho it's pretty embarrassing for wales... gotta feel for the guys tho, at least they showed character and didn't give up 
can only hope that south africa comes to town next weekend and brings some good luck 
. and those discipline issues? wow, 14 penalties in one game? that's just embarrassing 
. anyway, gotta give credit to new zealand though, they brought their A-game (pun intended 
) and showed us what a real team looks like 
. but hey, wales fans will still be rooting for them against south africa next week, because let's face it, anything can happen, right? 
meanwhile wales were getting puked all over 593 meters in just 77 carries 
not sure what's going on with those discipline issues tho 
14 penalties to nul... what a game 
wales was definitely outclassed in that match, physical dominance was the difference maker. but gotta respect lloyd robertson's attitude, talking about character and all that 
. i mean, all blacks are just on another level atm 
. but wales were so disciplined in the first half lol they could've won it easy 
. gotta wonder what gonna happen against south africa tho? gonna be a tough one 
Man, those All Blacks are like a well-oiled machine right now! They're so dominant on the field it's crazy. Wales can't even get a break without getting knocked around 
. But, yeah, you gotta give credit where credit is due to New Zealand's power game 
did u see the stats on mtrs carried tho? nz was like 469x more than wales 
but seriously wales gotta step up their game for south africa next wkend 
. It's like they're taking two steps forward one step back, you feel me? They gotta cut out the discipline issues and actually start playing some decent rugby for once 
just watched that match and I gotta say, the All Blacks are on fire 
! Their power game is insane 
. I feel bad for the Welsh fans, they must be heartbroken 
. On to next week tho! 
Are you guys gonna beat South Africa? 
The All Blacks were on fire tonight and it's no surprise they smashed the opposition 50-26. New Zealand's physical dominance was crazy to watch - those stats are insane (1,362 meters vs 593). Wales just couldn't keep up with the pace 
.
they got some tough matches coming up and can't afford to get blown out like that again 50-26 is a lot of points 
hopefully they can regroup and come back stronger for the south africa match 
I'm actually kinda excited to see how Wales does against South Africa next week... maybe we'll get some actual competition for once 
Yeah, that sounds great and all, but if your team is getting killed on the pitch, maybe you should be working on some actual strategies instead of just rallying your troops to not quit 
. Wales had a chance to take it to New Zealand, but they blew it. Now they get another shot against South Africa... I'm still not convinced 
. But still, I gotta respect the Welsh team for not giving up 